Temptation's Reputation
by Sparkling Amethyst
Summary: Bella Swan has never been in love. But she's also never felt the insane attraction she has towards Sam Uley. She knows she shouldn't give in, but soon finds herself deeply in love. But problems still exist. Someone isn't happy with Bella being the Alpha's mate. Plus, other creatures still go bump in the night. Bella has now found herself in the middle of a mess she can't clean.
1. Chapter One

**Well, I've been gone for quite a while now, and now I'm returning with something a little different. I've had this chapter sitting around, and I've decided to take it somewhere. Where, exactly? I guess we'll find out.**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter One**

"Bella! Come help me put these burgers on!"

Bella raised her eyes to look at Jacob but was caught in another sultry gaze instead. _Oh, my gosh_ , she thought frantically, hoping her anxiety wasn't showing on her face. _He's always watching me. Has he even looked away the entire time I've been here?_ She wasn't that interesting. She'd been sitting on Jacob's picnic table with her knees pulled up to her chest, staring down at her hands resting on her ankles for the past twenty minutes. It wasn't like she knew any of Jacob's Rez friends that she could talk to, other than Quil and Embry, who were absorbed in a football game being broadcasted on the radio. She'd never been invited to one of their barbeques before.

Bella had known Sam Uley was different the moment she first laid eyes on him. The first thing she'd noted, of course: his physical dissimilarities – his unusually large muscles were even bigger than those of his other friends, though the others' weren't what Bella would call normal. Maybe for a bodybuilder, but some of those boys were sixteen! How much did the group exercise to have arms that big? Oh, and they were constantly together. Maybe they took turns bench-pressing each other, she mused.

Sam also had piercing black eyes. Bella had never met anyone with eyes that dark; they were almost inhuman. The fact that made her stomach flop was that every time he looked at her, she could swear she could see them lighten to a chocolate brown that would be similar to her own. He also had to be at least seven feet tall, or close. Maybe six feet, eight or nine inches. She wished she knew for sure because it had to be a record height for a twenty-two-year-old man.

The group of friends was _always_ together, and when Bella saw them in public, they all seemed to look to Sam Uley for directions. Right now, as he was sitting in a foldable chair with a beer in his hand, he nodded to Jacob as the younger man offered him a bag of potato chips. Earlier, a boy she thought was named Jared had asked Sam for permission to drive over to a girl's house to pick her up. Sam had allowed it, and now Jared was sitting on the other side of Jacob's small yard with a redheaded girl wrapped under his arm. It was as if Jacob was having this party for the sole purpose of getting the group together. As if they weren't always. Sam Uley did seem to be, as many people in Forks gossiped, the leader of the "cult".

Bella wasn't sure it was a cult, exactly. She'd only first come face-to-face with these boys, other than Jacob, for the first time today, but they seemed nice. Quil had offered her a brilliant smile, tossing winks her way every time she accidentally caught his gaze. Jared had offered her his overly-warm hand in friendship.

Ah, another. They all ran temperatures, which had Bella's motherly instincts rattling in their cage. _You all need to see a doctor_ , she wanted to shout. _You shouldn't have a natural one-hundred-point-six body temperature!_ But she kept quiet because they all had parents who surely would have noticed, and if they weren't concerned, then Bella shouldn't be either.

Well, Sam Uley didn't have parents, but the others sure did.

"Bella!" Jacob called again. She realized she'd just been sitting there, staring at the ants in the dirt for at least three minutes. "You okay, honey?" By then, Embry had already moved to help Jacob apply the burgers to the grill.

Bella looked up and again met Sam Uley's gaze unwillingly. At the term of endearment, those black eyes seemed to burn with a sudden flood of anger, but when Bella did not respond in the way a lover would, they seemed to relax again. His rigid fists flattened and he picked his beer back up. "I'm fine," Bella answered her best friend.

"Bella's just anxious because she's around so many attractive men," Quil called tauntingly. Bella turned, realizing that his voice was a lot closer to her than she would have imagined, and felt a hot hand clamp down on her shoulder. Quil's laughter roared above her as Embry joined in from across the yard. "Her ovaries are probably going _wild_."

But something about that statement wasn't funny to anyone. Bella watched a hushed silence remove any chuckling from the group of men as all eyes flew to Quil. Bella wasn't offended; Quil wasn't one with words and often resorted to innuendos in hope of expelling any awkward silence. He didn't mean anything by it. But something about _this_ particular statement sure bothered his friends.

Or maybe . . .

Bella felt her eyebrows pull together in confusion. Maybe it wasn't so much what Quil had _said_ , but more about who he was speaking _to_. Or who he had said it in front of . . .

Bella's attention shot over to Sam, who glared balefully at Quil. His upper lip pulled up in a sneer.

Jared broke the silence with, "Well, it's not like we can help that." Except he didn't say it in a joking way. Completely serious, he gripped the redheaded girl tighter to his side. "It's just what we are. Our nature. Primal, mating instincts. It's –"

Sam's voice rang across Jacob's yard, low, steady, and dominant. It held a don't-defy-me edge that sent all of the boys' eyes to the ground. "Enough, Jared," he scolded.

Jared's mouth snapped closed as he realized he'd been rambling. He returned his attention to his girlfriend, or whatever she was to him. Bella hadn't noticed them showing any sort of affection for each other.

"Bella," Jacob called again. He hadn't moved from the grill, but his worried glances hadn't gone unnoticed by both Bella and her silent watcher. "Seriously. Do you feel okay? Need me to take you home?" His eyebrows pulled together and Bella knew he really didn't want to have to do that. He'd specifically told her that he'd invited her to this picnic so that she could "meet the guys" and become part of his circle of friends instead of being the one friend he had to spend time with separately.

And Bella wanted to like these boys. They deserved a chance, so she shook her head. "I'm fine," she repeated. "Just hungry."

"Okay, guys," Jacob yelled. "Burgers are done. Let's make an orderly –"

But the grill was already surrounded by the pack of boys. Bella did a quick headcount and noticed seven heads. She tested herself with names: Jared, Embry, Quil, Paul, Seth, Brady, and – of course – Jacob. Bella blinked, noticing the one that was missing. Her eyes wandered around the yard and noticed that the Jared's redheaded guest had stayed in her seat underneath a large tree. She was now chatting with Leah, who Bella thought was Seth's sister. She'd never seen her before, but something about the way Leah shot daggers at Sam every so often made Bella think she wasn't in a friendly mood.

"Bella," Jacob murmured. She looked over to see him towering over her with a plate in his hand. On it were three burgers and at least ten pickles. "Go on, get your plate." He swung a leg over the bench of the picnic table next to her and plopped down. Embry and Quil settled in across from him.

"Okay," she mumbled, standing hesitantly. Paul, the one man she'd yet to say anything to, was still stacking his food onto a paper plate that looked like it was going to collapse if one more ounce was added.

Bella then remembered that she'd been looking for Sam before noting Leah, and her eyes shot to the chair he'd been previously occupying. For once, she didn't meet his eyes. Instead she saw that he was marching dominantly over to the grill, his back to her. _Oh, God,_ Bella thought, her stomach knotting. What did she say to him? _Hello, may I ask why you find me so interesting to look at?_

"Bells, bring me a soda when you come back, would you?" Embry requested as she stumbled over to the food. She threw a nod in his direction, her eyes on Sam's back.

As if he could feel her presence behind him, Sam turned and looked down at her. _Way_ down. His lips turned up a little at the corners as he handed her a plate with one burger and a few pickles on it. She stared up at him, confused.

"For you," he rumbled quietly.

Bella blinked twice. "Oh. Thank you."

He nodded and turned back to the grill where he was assembling his own tower of food. He didn't say anything more, so Bella asked, "Do you . . . do you . . . want to sit with me?"

A loud coughing echoed behind her, and she turned to see Jacob practically choking on whatever he'd just bit. Embry reached across the table to slap him on the back a few times, and Jacob quieted down. Bella turned back to Sam.

He was staring at her. "Okay."

Bella waited for him to finish stacking his own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa before the two of them awkwardly ambled back to the table. In the grass, under the tree, Paul, Jared, Leah, and the redheaded girl were sitting in a circle. Seth was sort of in the middle of the two groups, sitting in the grass, with Brady. Jacob would turn around to say something to them every now and then, if only to keep the group from being completely divided into sections.

Bella didn't fit in any of those groups, she realized. Jared and his girlfriend were both drinking alcohol, but from Jacob had told her, Sam was the only one of them who could legally drink. Seth and Brady were fifteen and sixteen – too young for her to hang out with. She was seventeen-going-on-eighteen.

 _Is Sam too old for me?_ she thought, and then reprimanded herself. Where did that come from? But that embarrassment did not stop her from continuing with the same thought – the age difference was not that large. In a month, she would be eighteen, a legal adult, and he would still be twenty-two. Four years wasn't bad. Her own mother's second husband was eleven years younger. Yes, Renee was quite the cougar. Satisfied with her logic, Bella sucked in a deep breath and calmed down.

Jacob looked up as the two of them approached and hastily moved over to the seat Bella had been occupying on the end of the bench. Bella hesitantly sat down next to him, and Sam sat on her other side, sandwiching her between the two and in front of Quil. She felt the heat coming from them and thought she'd roast to death before she finished her burger.

Meanwhile, next to her Jake had already downed the burgers in two minutes. "Jeez, Jake, slow down," she mothered. "You'll make yourself sick."

"Hey, Sam!" Jared suddenly hollered. Sam's head shot in his direction. Bella looked up into his eyes, but he was staring over her head, eyebrows pulling together in concern. "Collin called. He's coming over now. He's got . . . news." Jared glanced down at the redhead nervously.

"We'll have a discussion when he arrives," Sam informed the group. "Perhaps the women can prepare dessert while we talk." He looked down to Bella, and she nodded.

"Of course," she whispered.

Fifteen minutes later, after all thirty burgers had been consumed by those boys, Bella found herself standing in Jacob's small, green kitchen with two girls she'd never met before. Watching out the window, she saw the boys all gathered at the picnic table. Sam was standing at the head, arms crossed, eyes angry. The others didn't look happy, either, as Collin stood at the other end, explaining something with wide hand gestures. As if he knew she was watching him, Sam looked up and met her gaze. She saw his anger fade away, if only momentarily, and then he looked away.

"Hi, there!" a cheery voice rang in her ear. Bella turned to see Jared's girlfriend smiling at her. "I'm Kim. It's so nice to meet you. You're Jacob's friend, right? That's good. Maybe you know your way around this kitchen and we can get this dessert going. Leah? Did you bring the whipped cream? I always forget the whipped cream, and Jared loves it, so –"

"I got it," Leah interrupted. Her voice had a sad, depressed note that Bella hadn't been expecting, and suddenly she felt bad for the girl without knowing what was wrong.

Kim's face turned sympathetic. "Oh, sweetie. I know you're upset, but really, you two only went on one date, and you said he's a bad kisser."

"I didn't say _bad_ ," Leah defended herself. "I said _passionate_. That is not the same thing at all!"

"But you said that passionate kissing is not what you wanted so soon," Kim reminded, "and _that_ is what made it bad."

"He doesn't want to date anymore," Leah continued, "so it doesn't even matter." She turned her eyes to the tub of whipped cream on the counter and popped the lid. "Get a spoon, would you?"

It took Bella a moment to realize that the words were directed towards her, being that Bella was the one of the three who'd been in this kitchen the most. She sat up straighter and yanked open the silverware drawer. "Here," she mumbled.

"You know what you need?" Kim asked rhetorically. "You need to forget about Sam Uley."

Bella's heart leaped in her chest. Leah had been on a date with Sam?

Why hadn't he been staring longingly at _Leah_ , then? But Bella wasn't exactly sure she wanted it that way. Perhaps his gaze on her hadn't been so unwelcome after all.

"I don't know," Leah sighed.

"Why shouldn't you?" Kim demanded. She turned and got a tray of already-baked cupcakes out of a bag she'd brought with her. "Help me put icing on these. Sam Uley has already moved on, Leah. He hasn't looked at you _once_ since you've been here." Bella thought she saw Kim's eyes glance to her for just a second, and Bella wondered if she'd noticed Sam's gaze constantly watching her. "He told you he wants to see other people. You should, too."

"And who would you have me date?" Leah snapped.

"I don't know," Kim said, an annoyed edge creeping into her tone. "Collin? He's single."

"He's also sixteen."

"Your point being?" Kim looked over to Bella. "Can you go grab my purse out in the yard? My hands are . . . well" – she held her hands up, showing Bella the icing that covered them – "a little messy. My cell phone is in there, and my mom doesn't know Jared brought me here, so I'm expecting a call when she gets home from work."

She nodded, realizing that they really didn't need her for anything else. Besides, it was awkward for Bella to listen to their conversation while just standing there in the middle of Jacob's kitchen. She pushed the screen door out of the way and stepped into the yard.

The heads of all nine men whipped in her direction, eyes angry and shoulders tense. Bella stopped dead, realizing that she'd probably just interrupted a very important and private conversation. She met Sam's gaze and his eyes softened. "Bella," he called, "what do you need?"

"J-just . . ." Her voice failed. "Just Kim's . . . purse." Oh _wow_ , did that sound stupid. Bella almost grimaced at herself, but withheld it.

Jared sat up straighter. "Is she okay?"

"Yes," Bella said, and explained Kim's situation. Jared nodded and settled back down. Bella stumbled over to the tree the couple had been perched under just ten minutes before and bent to snatch the denim bag from the grass. Straightening, she stood and spun to return it to its owner, and once again, her gaze was met with the dark, serious . . . _sexy_ eyes of Sam Uley. Only now, taking his image in and remembering Leah's obvious interest in him, this gaze did not make Bella uncomfortable. He _was_ an attractive man – any girl could see that in his toned arms, well-defined chest and abdominals, and hair that seemed to have been made messy on purpose. Bella's eyes swooped over him and then retreated to his face before she let them travel any lower.

Only Sam's eyes had shifted from her face to the rest of her body.

 _Oh my God. Is he . . . is he checking me out?_ She blushed.

She didn't know exactly how long they stood there staring at each other. The only thing she could think about was the way his fingers seemed to tighten around his forearms while his throat wiggled with a swallow. She wrapped the strap of Kim's purse around her index finger nervously, feeling her heart rate increase and her hands begin to shake. She'd never had this reaction to a man before – she'd never been this nervous to be around someone. She'd never felt so . . . _attracted_ to someone.

But most of all, she'd never felt as beautiful as Sam Uley's stare made her feel. And that installed a new fear inside her.

Someone at the picnic table cleared his throat. Sam looked away from her, towards the boy who'd broken the comfortable silence. Well, comfortable for the two of them. Probably not for the teenage boys watching them.

Sam's face morphed quickly from gentle to angry as he glared down at Jacob. Bella blushed, embarrassed that she'd forgotten where she was. There she stood in Jacob's yard, her best friend, who had _invited_ her there to spend time with him, and she was more focused on someone else. She was ashamed of herself, upset that she'd let Sam weasel his way into her mind.

Bella found her feet again and quickly reentered the house. She hadn't missed much – the cupcakes were being decorated with two things that Bella was sure hadn't been Leah Clearwater's ideas: purple icing and rainbow sprinkles. Kim looked up from her work and smiled. "Thanks so much. I hope they didn't give you a hard time."

Bella grinned back, pleased to have made some sort of friend during Jacob's outing. That's what she'd come for, right? To spend time with Jacob and meet the other people he spent his time with. Well, there. Done. Now perhaps he would give it a rest with the constant invitations down to the Reservation.

Bella sighed. She wasn't fooling herself. She knew that she would jump at the next time Jacob asked her to join them in some sort of outing. Now she had something to prove – to him, to Sam . . . to herself.

She would not let him distract her from the goals she'd set for herself – high school, college, life of her own. In that order. And "super-hot boyfriend with a body like the Greek god Zeus and the personality of a rock" was not included in that plan until _after_ she got the life she'd always dreamed of.

She glanced out the window once more at the clan that had gathered. They all sat more relaxed now, lightly tapping on the table with calloused hands and chatting loudly. Sam's stance, too, had relaxed. Now he nodded along to something Paul was saying, but – as he had before – he looked up as if he felt her gaze on him. He did not smile, but something in his eyes changed – lightened, warmed. Bella's heart fluttered.

Alright, Sam Uley, she thought. Challenge accepted.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please leave me a review. My favorite thing is to have my readers copy and paste their favorite line from the chapter.**

 **Please tell me what you think! If you'd like to see more, tell me so. If you hated it, then don't continue reading.**

 **I will base my decision about continuing this story off of the response I receive.**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Sparkling Amethyst**


	2. Chapter Two

**I would just like to thank everyone for their positive responses to Chapter One! I will absolutely be continuing this story. I have to say that I am curious to see where these characters are going. I'm excited to write - and that hasn't happened to me for a while. So thank you for entering this new world with me!**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Jacob plopped a spoon into the sink, sending the dishwater up against Bella's stomach with a splash. Her soapy hands were quickly wrinkling as she attempted to clean all of the dishes that had been involved in the picnic. "So, you seemed to have a good time today," he began casually.

Bella glanced up at him, hesitant. Where was he going with this? "Sure," she said. "Kim was really nice. And I hadn't seen Quil and Embry for a while, so that was nice. The weather was . . ." She searched for a better word, but failed. ". . . nice."

Jacob leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes synchronized her carefully, eyebrows pulling together. "Yeah, it was pretty _nice_. You seemed to make some new friends." He lifted his chin – a dare.

Bella knew the game he was playing. "Oh, yeah," she exclaimed, purposefully adding some extra enthusiasm to her voice. "Jared was _nice_ , and Collin and Brady were _nice_ , too. A little young for my tastes, but still _nice_." She returned her gaze to the sink, watching as she scrubbed some charred burger off of a plate.

Jacob didn't smile as she'd anticipated he would. "Sam certainly had eyes for you."

Bella dropped the plate. Apparently their little game was over. "Well, I guess that's the elephant in the room." Trying not to roll her eyes, she turned to stare up at him. "Sam is a very attractive man, Jacob. I cannot deny that." He opened his mouth to say something, but she ignored him. "That being said, I do _not_ want to hear anything about it. You know my plan – I'm graduating this June, then I'm off to Arizona on my scholarship and I'm –"

"– going to study English Literature with a minor in Sociology," he interrupted. "And then you'll move to Seattle and work in editing and spend the rest of your life doing what you love." He huffed, eyes rolling towards the ceiling before they settled back down on her. His stance was relaxed now – not nearly as serious as it had been before. Bella almost smiled; she'd loosened him up. "I know what you're planning to do, Bella. You've been telling me about this plan since you were a sophomore. But I think you need to loosen the reins a little."

Bella's head snapped up. Surprise and perhaps a bit of annoyance bloomed in her chest. "And _why_ would I do that? Jacob, I know what I want. I know how I want to live my life, and I'm going for it." How dare he, she thought. Bella had always been in control of her own life. Her mother had been more like a best friend, a roommate who stocked the fridge from time-to-time and snuck her T-shirts in with Bella's clothes when Bella did the laundry. Bella was used to being on her own, making her own decisions. And nothing annoyed her more than someone telling her how to live her life.

Jacob must have sensed her growing defensive because he uncrossed his arms and took a few steps back, head bent forward slightly, giving in. "Hey, I just meant –" He sucked in an exasperated breath, cracking his knuckles nervously. His eyes darted around his small kitchen, trying to find something to focus on before finally deciding that maybe eye contact with his best friend during this important conversation would be a good idea. "Sometimes life is gonna throw you curve balls, Bells. You can't plan everything out the way you do, because something along the way is going to get –" He stopped short, eyes widening, and Bella realized he'd been about to use a very bad cuss word and – wisely – thought better of it. "– _messed_ up. You can't predict everything that will happen."

"You're being very vague," Bella complained. She returned to the dishes, fishing her hand around in the soapy water for the plate she'd previously abandoned.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod. "I know, I know – I just . . . there's so much I want to tell you, Bella, but I can't."

"Why not?" It wasn't like Jacob to keep secrets from her, and hearing him admit that he had something to hide made her extremely curious.

He tapped his palms against the counter in some sort of rhythm. A nervous tick? "It's _not my place_." His tone made Bella think these weren't his words, but someone else's – someone who apparently had some power over him. His lips pulled up over his teeth in a sneer.

She frowned at him. "What are you implying, Jake?" For the time being, the task at hand had been forgotten as she stepped away from the sink and pulled out a wooden kitchen chair. The seat creaked in protest as she sat down not-so-gently and looked up at him, waiting for an explanation.

Jacob seemed to be looking everywhere but at her, eyes travelling across the faded yellow-orange walls, lingering on a dusty picture of him and his sisters on the day of Rachel's college graduation. With a jolt, Bella realized that this house was _filthy_ , but she couldn't let herself get distracted. Jacob had a secret to spill, and she was going to hear it whether he liked it or not.

"I'm not implying anything," he finally muttered, watching his bare feet as he brushed them over the white tiles on the kitchen floor. "I just think you need to give yourself a little room to wiggle, Bells. I mean, I'm sure today was a little unexpected. You know, with Sam –"

Bella's heart leaped. She hadn't expected him to be so direct. The thrill that was sent through her body when she heard Sam's name annoyed her. She frowned, but then she thought more deeply about what Jacob was saying. And then she realized –

 _Is he trying to tell me I should go for it with Sam?_

She studied her best friend, who had cut off his sentence as he watched her expressions change from irritated, to confused, to defensive, to angry. "Wait a second," she demanded, holding her hand up to stop whatever moronic sentence was about to come out of his parted lips. "Are you saying you want me to _date_ Sam? _Sam_? The twenty-two-year-old guy I just met this afternoon?"

Jacob shook his head. His expression could only describe as one of complete panic. "No, that's not – I mean . . ." He sighed, tossing his head back, exasperated. "Okay, maybe I am. But I have a good reason to!"

Bella waited. ". . . and?"

He blinked. "I can't tell you."

" _Why not_?"

"Because it's not my place!" he yelled.

"What does that even mean?" Bella couldn't wrap her head around it. Something about Jacob just didn't seem right. Lately, he'd been so different . . . sketchy. Cancelling plans at the last minute, not returning her phone calls. And she could feel the heat coming off of his skin from where she was sitting right then and there, as if she were at a camp out and he was the bonfire. It was like he was running a constant temperature, but he didn't seem ill. Just . . . different. And now he was holding back whatever thoughts were running through his head. This was not Bella's best friend. Something had changed him.

 _Sam_ had changed him.

And Bella did not like it one bit.

"What's he done to you, Jake?" she asked quietly. Jacob's head shot up, his gaze finally meeting hers, but he said nothing. "Jacob," she said again. "What's he done to you?"

"Nothing," he mumbled. " _Sam_ didn't do anything. It's all me. All my fault." He laughed, but it wasn't the carefree, happy chuckle she'd grown used to. It was exhausted.

Bella smacked her hand on the kitchen table. It wiggled unsteadily, and Bella wondered how many times Billy had accidentally ran into it with his wheelchair. "What does that _mean_ , Jake? What's happened? Something is different with you lately, and I don't know why. Please, talk to me! Give me some kind of explanation! Because the Jacob I became friends with when I was six years old and the Jacob I reunited with when I moved back here from Arizona are two completely different people." She licked her lips, waiting for a reaction, but he just stared at her. She continued, "The Jacob I knew before I moved away with Renee would have _never_ tried to set me up with a guy like _Sam Uley_."

"What kind of guy is Sam Uley?"

"I don't know!" she hollered. "He's . . . controlling, intense . . . he's defensive and difficult to talk to and he just gives off a vibe that he's not a nice guy!" There! She'd said it. But what she couldn't say was that, even though she thought all of those things of him, she was still attracted to him. She still wanted get to know him . . . to know what he was thinking as he stared at her from across a yard of grass, yellowing from lack of rain . . .

"Well, guess what, Bella!" Jacob's hands fisted at his sides. He shuddered. "I'm _just like him_! We all are! We're all in the same boat here! Me, Embry, Quil, Paul, Jared, Brady, Collin, and yes – _Sam_!" He was furious now, his voice echoing around the kitchen. It hurt her ears. "If you think Sam is such a bad person, then you must think that of me, too!"

Bella stood and backed away slowly. He was shuddering more frequently now, eyes blackening, breathing increasing. Frankly, he was scaring her.

"Jake," she whispered. "Calm down, okay?"

Jacob stared blankly into space, eyes burning, body quivering. His lip curled, revealing a set of teeth that looked more like the canines of a dog. "Bella," he murmured. "Back up."

Bella blinked. His voice sounded like he'd swallowed some of the gravel that coated his front lawn. "Jacob. What is _wrong_ with you?" Her motherly instincts had kicked in. She knew they kept a first aid kit underneath the kitchen sink, but Jacob was currently having a meltdown right in front of it, and he did _not_ look as though he were up for having his personal space invaded. She thought she heard the beginnings of a rumble deep in his chest, but it broke off suddenly as a piercing howl shot through the air. The howl of a dog . . .

No, Bella thought. No household pet could have made that noise. It sounded so angry, so defensive. Whatever animal had reared its head back to wail that way had been trying to connect with _something_ . . .

. . . Or someone.

Jacob jumped. His glare lifted in shock and surprise. He straightened from his offensive crouch. His body jerked, fists relaxing –

Bella backed against the wall behind her. It was almost as if Jacob had no control over his body.

"I have to go." It was a snarl thrown out of the side of his mouth as he bolted from the kitchen, leaving the screen door to slam shut behind him.

For a moment, Bella just stood, wondering what in the _world_ had just happened.

She sucked in a deep breath. Clearly, Jacob was more far more ill than she'd thought. Perhaps her spending more time on the Reservation would be beneficial to him.

Finally breaking through the shock, Bella decided to do the only thing she really could do after being abandoned in her best friend's house after he flees the scene. She stumbled back over to the sink and returned to the dishes.

As she washed the porcelain dishes, her attention drifted and she found herself staring out the window. And her heart leaped into her throat.

She had locked eyes with Sam Uley.

Bella gasped and closed her eyes in a few slow, exaggerated blinks. When she focused on the window again, she saw . . . nothing. She frowned. She inspected Jacob's backyard carefully, squinting in an attempt make anything out, but the only source of light came from the moon. How odd. She could have _sworn_ Sam had been standing there, just beyond the edge of the forest, arms crossed over his bare chest. Watching her, always watching her. But now, the only thing Bella could see was the outline of the grill and the picnic table resting just beneath the window she was peering out of.

She sighed. Perhaps ignoring Sam Uley _and_ hanging around to help Jacob was going to be more difficult than she'd imagined.

* * *

The next day, Bella sprinted through the rain towards the safety of a tall, white building that just did fit next to the dark green leaves on the trees that created the forest around it.

"Hello!"

Bella looked up to see a petite blonde woman giving her a wide, toothy smile. The bell above the door to the pharmacy hadn't even stopped ringing yet. "Um, hi."

The woman stood off to the side of the sliding glass doors. Now Bella could _really_ admit she'd been surprised. Not only had Steven's Pharmacy upgraded to not one but _two_ sets of automatic doors, but Steven had hired a _greeter_. The woman's charm bracelet jingled as she gestured to the isle to her right. "Welcome to Steven's! Today we're holding specials in our _Planned Parenting_ section," she informed me. "We're offering a buy-one-get-one deal with our Trojan condoms, and a few other select brands are between twenty and fifty percent off!"

 _Good Lord,_ Bella thought. "Um, no, no," she begged, stopping the woman's thought with a frantic wave of her hand. The _last_ thing she needed was to have someone from the police station think Bella had an interest in purchasing condoms at half price and relay that information to her father. She could imagine how awkward _that_ conversation would be. "No thank you – I'm just here to pick up my father's prescription."

"Are you sure, Bella?" The laughter came from her left side.

Bella spun and came face-to-face with Embry Call. Of course. "Oh," she gasped. "Embry – gosh, you scared me. What are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm running an errand for my mother. Thought it was gonna be the biggest waste of my time since my sister's ballet recital last June, but –" His eyes traveled over the length of her body, humorous. He winked. "I think it's gonna shape up to be more entertaining than I thought." He nodded to the woman politely, even though she was gawking at the well-toned muscles of his arms. "C'mon, Bells. I'll show you where the condoms are."

"N-no, really, Embry, that's –"

He didn't wait for her to finish her mumbling. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked off. Clearly he expected her to follow him. "You never know when you'll need 'em, Bella," he said over his shoulder. "You should stock up now – while they're on sale." He winked.

Bella blinked, annoyed. "Excuse me, but I do not have any use for condoms right now, nor do I have any intention of needing them in the immediate future." She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look intimidating, but in reality, she probably looked like an angry kitten in his eyes. Her flowered purse fell off of her shoulder and rested in the crook of her elbow and her head was almost completely tilted back with her attempt to look at his face.

He smiled down at her like he had a secret he was dying to tell. "Whatever you say. No, but seriously, I could really use your help. It's actually great for me that you're here. As I said, I'm running an errand for my sister."

The two came to a stop next to the isle labeled _Feminine Hygiene_. Bella yanked her purse back up to her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought you said you were here for your mother."

Embry glanced down at her, biting his lip. "Oh, yeah," he nodded. "I meant my mom. I mean, it's kind of for both of them, you know? It's like . . ." He hesitated, giving away the fact that he was lying. "It's like . . . they share."

"Gross," Bella said, deciding not to call him out on fibbing. Apparently Jacob had learned his new habits of deceitfulness from his new friends. "Wait. Are you here for _tampons_?"

Embry slapped a hand over his face, cheeks reddening. "Unfortunately."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you there," Bella responded. She couldn't believe she was about to admit this to a guy she'd only met a few times, but the words were out of her mouth before she really thought about them. "I don't use those. I go for the other option."

Embry shrugged. "That's fine, too." He skimmed his hand over the shelf.

Bella shook her head. "Women are _not_ willing to accept change in this department, Embry. If your mother – or you sister, or whoever you're buying these for – specifically requested tampons, you cannot bring her pads. It's, like, The Number One Rule of Feminism."

He gave her a doubtful look.

"Okay." She rolled her eyes. "So that was dramatic, but seriously, get her tampons. Just text her and ask what brand she wants." She was already backing away. "That's your best bet."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Bella smiled politely. "Okay, well – I guess I'll see you at the next party at Jacob's, huh?"

"Yeah," he agreed.

Bella thought she was free and quickly turned to make her way over to the pharmacy counter, but Embry fell into step next to her. She looked up at him, bewildered. "Um. What are you –"

"What's your favorite color?"

"What?" Had he perhaps been dropped on his head as a child?

He looked down at her expectantly. "Your favorite color. What is it?"

"Um . . ." _Is he serious?_ she thought. _Should I answer?_ Or was he just messing with her, wanting to laugh when she actually answered? "Purple," she finally decided.

He nodded in acceptance, as if his opinion would change her mind. "What's your favorite movie?"

Bella hesitated once again, but finally offered a reply.

"What's your favorite hobby, activity, form of entertainment?"

And the questions continued, in line as she waited to speak to the pharmacist, while she waited for the Charlie's prescription to be retrieved, and even when Bella wandered over to the isle that housed the dish soap when she remembered she'd used the last of it the night before. Embry never asked anything too personal; she was never offended, but she had to admit she was confused as to why he was so curious. So she asked him.

"C'mon," he scoffed, nudging her with his elbow. "I'm not allowed to try to become better friends with the nice girl from Phoenix, Arizona?"

"Embry, I moved back here four years ago," she reminded him. "I would say my ties to Arizona have been disconnected. My mom doesn't even live there anymore."

"Right, right," he murmured distractedly. A teenage girl in a very short skirt had wandered by and captured his attention. Bella tried not to roll her eyes but failed. "Yeah, I knew that. What's your ideal first date?"

Bella stopped in her tracks. Oh, no. She hadn't realized _that_ was where Embry was going with this. Pity fell into her stomach, followed by guilt. He'd been flirting with her this entire time, and she hadn't even noticed! Now she'd led him to believe that she was interested in him. "Oh, Embry," she said gently, "I'm – look, I'm sorry, but . . . I mean, if I gave you the impression that . . . that I wanted to –" She wiggled her hands nervously in front of her and bit down on her bottom lip as she looked up at him.

Embry studied her sympathetic expression and smiled. "Whoa, whoa, Bella." He draped an arm over her shoulders casually, nudging her forward. The two began to walk in the direction of the checkout counter. "That's not what I meant. It was just a question. Honest."

"But you –"

"I was just being curious, that's all," he chuckled. "I wasn't gonna ask you out. Jeez, if I did, I think I'd be castrated. The word _mad_ wouldn't even cover how he'd feel about _that_."

"Who?"

His eyes widened. "Uh, nothing. No one. Never mind."

Bella stared at him. Clearly Embry was speaking to her for a different reason than to get her opinion on what feminine hygiene products to purchase for his female family members. Had Jacob sent him here to ask all of these questions? But that didn't make any sense. Jake already knew her favorite color, favorite movie, favorite candy. So then . . . if Embry wasn't asking for Jake, and he wasn't asking for himself . . . then who wanted to know?

They came to a stop at the end of the line of people waiting to check out. Bella clutched the small paper bag that held Charlie's high blood pressure pills. In front of them, a middle-aged man with a bald spot in the midst of his dull brown hair shifted his weight impatiently. At the counter, a mother tried desperately to calm her crying toddler by bending to offer him a bag of crackers, but apparently they weren't what the little boy had in mind. Bella sighed when he threw the bag across the floor with all the force he could muster. The crackers completely scattered all over the floor.

Embry smacked his lips together in amusement. "So um, what is it then?"

"What's what?"

"Your ideal first date?"

Bella thought about it. Clearly she would have to give a response if he wasn't letting this go. "Well, I guess . . . I'd want it to be something simple but meaningful. Like, something that he would enjoy that he thinks _I_ would enjoy, too, you know? I want to see that he put some thought into it." The line moved slowly to the front. Behind them, a business man was talking loudly on the phone about how he _was only buying a candy bar for Pete's Sake_ and _why couldn't they have an express lane?_ Bella ignored him, but Embry seemed to be distracted. His eyes wandered to the front door, but he seemed to be looking beyond them, beyond the parking lot. "Something romantic, but not too romantic."

He glanced at her quickly. "What's not too romantic?"

"I don't know," she sighed. Now she was next in line. "Like . . . a movie would be nice, but I don't want to see a romance movie on the first date. A comedy would be more appropriate. Or, a light lunch at a semi-casual restaurant and a casual stroll through a park."

"Yeah," he muttered. He tossed her a smile. "Hey, I gotta get going. My mom's making dinner and she'll be furious if I don't get there while it's still warm. You're coming to Billy's fiftieth birthday party on Saturday, right?"

"Um, yeah," she confirmed. "Charlie wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm bringing a pie, I think."

"That sounds great," he said, "but just so you know, you might need more than one. We tend to eat a lot."

He wasn't kidding. "Yeah," she laughed. "I kind of noticed yesterday."

"Okay, well, I'll see you then." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, cracked his neck, and turned on his heel to walk out of the store.

Bella called after him with a "see you" as she stepped up to the cashier, but he was basically already gone.

It wasn't until Bella had exited the building and Embry's rusty blue truck had long since turned the corner at the red light that Bella realized there was a pharmacy right down the street from his house. And he hadn't bought anything at all.

* * *

 **I hadn't intended for Sam to be as absent as he was from this chapter, but it just kept growing in length and I thought Embry really needed his moment to develop as a character. I want to use him throughout the entire story. But I promise, Sam will come out to play in Chapter Three, so stick with me!**

 **I'm leaving a bunch of underlying clues and hints, and I'm really hoping everyone is picking up on them. This is going to be a deep story, I can feel it.**

 **As always, thank you for reading, and please leave me a review! Tell me what your favorite line of the chapter was!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Three**

The steps in Charlie's forty-year-old house creaked as Bella trotted downstairs. Halfway to the bottom, she stopped in her tracks as she was hit with the overwhelming smell of too-strong coffee. Something thumped as it was dropped into the sink, and Charlie's grumbles floated into her ears.

Bella smiled when she rounded the corner and peeked in at the kitchen. Charlie stood in front of the little coffee machine with his hands pressed on the counter, eyebrows pulled together in confusion and frustration. She spied about three used coffee filters in the trash can and the counter around the machine was totally covered in both coffee and water. Charlie angrily jabbed the buttons on the top to turn it on, but there was no cup to catch the coffee as it came out.

"Wait, Dad!" Bella hollered, rushing forward to snatch a coffee mug out of the cabinet. She couldn't move fast enough, and Charlie was splattered with hazelnut-flavored liquid.

"How on earth do you use this stupid thing?" he complained. He grabbed a dishtowel that appeared to have already been used to clean the same mess multiple times and wiped his hands clean.

"You have to do things in a certain order," Bella explained. She opened the lid and removed what she calculated to be the fourth attempt at a cup of coffee that morning. How had this man survived without her for twelve years? This coffee maker was, of all that existed, among the easiest to use. Surely no man could be _that_ incapable of doing things for himself.

But clearly Bella had overestimated him.

Smiling to herself and trying not to laugh, she quickly restored order to her tiny kitchen. In no time she'd cleaned the counter, started a new round of coffee, and started three eggs cooking on a skillet for their breakfast after sending Charlie to the dryer across the hall to retrieve the towels she'd put there the night before, knowing there were none left in the cabinet in the bathroom and they would both need a shower before they went over to Billy's. While Charlie sat in the living room and attempted to fold the towels, Bella microwaved the bacon, topped off the eggs with some shredded cheese, and prepared each of them a plate with a cup of well-earned coffee to accompany it.

She clicked on a morning talk show that she had no intention of paying any attention to and sat on the dark wooden chair, purposefully taking the seat that was closer to the wall so her father wouldn't have to struggle. Charlie was getting older, and though he wouldn't admit it, Bella knew he was having trouble with his knees. She had a feeling he was developing arthritis in them, but he refused to consult a doctor.

"Dad, come eat while it's warm," she called. Sometimes she felt more like the adult in the house.

* * *

Of course Charlie had insisted they take his police car to the Billy's barbeque bash. "Why use your gas when we can use the police station's?" he'd reasoned, but Bella knew he just liked to remind everyone of his authority. Even when he wasn't on duty, he was on duty. As the Chief of Police, he was responsible for keeping the people of Forks and La Push safe, and he knew there would be alcohol at this shindig. He hoped that the presence of his PT Cruiser would remind the underage partiers that any alcohol consumption would not yield a happy result for them.

There wasn't a problem finding a place to park when they arrived at the Blacks' small red house. The only other cars that sat in the medium-sized driveway were Jacob's – the Rabbit, a motorcycle, a red truck that looked similar to Bella's without the rust, and another small beige car that probably belonged to another guest. People that lived on the Reservation wouldn't have to drive. So many of the houses were built within walking distance of each other.

The two slammed the car doors shut behind them and Jacob appeared in the screen door, his natural smile lighting up his face. "Hey, guys! Glad you made it." He watched as Bella opened the trunk and bent to scoop up a box that contained four pies that varied in flavor and a bowl of mixed fruit. "Hey, wait a second, Bells, let me send someone out to help you with that." Jacob himself had about seven bags of hamburger buns and a pack of hotdogs in his hands.

"I'll get it for her, Jake," Charlie insisted.

Jacob apparently had noticed Charlie's recently worsening health as well. He propped the screen door open and held it there with his backside. "No, no, Charlie, we got it. Hey, Paul," he called into the house. "Can you help Bella carry in the dessert?"

Charlie took that as his cue to disappear into the backyard – where the smell of burgers and hotdogs was wafting from. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Paul!" Jacob called again. One of the umpteen packs of hamburger buns fell from his arms and he grunted, peering down over the rest of the pile helplessly.

"I can help." The statement came from a deep, rumbling voice behind her. Bella jumped and spun around – and there he was. Sam Uley stood just beyond the tall white fence that marked the Blacks' backyard. His arms were crossed over his chest, his chin held high. He was dripping with confidence and sex appeal. Their eyes met, and Bella felt her face redden. He shifted his weight and then he was stalking towards her.

Bella's heart fluttered.

When he reached her, he stared down at her motionlessly for a second. She blinked up at him, bewildered. He was absolutely the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black. His skin was tan, but there wasn't a hint of sunburn anywhere on his nose where one would expect it. His short, choppy black hair fell just above his eyes and framed his face. Bella twisted her fingers together, feeling nervous as his intense gaze pinned her feet to the ground.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time that Bella could only assume was awkward for anyone watching, Sam bent to retrieve the box of dessert from the backseat of the cruiser. Bella blinked as her face was assaulted with a waft of his very manly cologne. She sucked in a deep breath involuntarily. "You shouldn't try to lift things that are this heavy," he scolded her.

Annoyance wiggled its way into her heart, right next to the anxious attraction. Bella huffed. " _You_ don't seem to be having a problem with it."

Behind her, she thought she heard Jacob chuckle. Sam's eyes sparkled, lips puckered as he glanced down at her, amused. "It's very safe to say that I could lift _you_ and throw you ten feet into the air if I tried." He straightened and balanced the box on one arm. "I could catch you with this arm –" He waved his free hand in the air. " – and not ruin any pies." He seemed to hesitate for a second before his eyes softened and he added, "Which smell delicious, by the way."

Bella bit her lip. "Thanks. I had to buy the bottom crust, but the top layer is homemade."

"I figured as much," he murmured.

Jacob cleared his throat. "You know, some of us want to actually _eat_ today, and I've got the buns, so maybe we could move this conversation into the house?"

Sam's eyes shot up to him and he was instantly glaring. Bella frowned. His expressions changed so easily, as if there were a button on his chest that switched him from carefree and relaxed to angry and brooding. "I think we can open a door by ourselves, Jacob. You aren't needed here." His voice was rough, hard. The lighthearted joking was clearly over.

Jacob's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Are you sure?" He glanced into the house. "I think Embry might have a disagreeing opinion on that."

Sam's lips peeled up over his teeth and he sneered. "Don't test me, Jacob." It sounded like a father scolding his son, not a man cautioning his friend. But the crazy thing was that Jacob's expression immediately sobered from amused and teasing to obedient and docile. Bella blanched as her best friend disappeared into his house and the screen door slammed shut behind him.

Sam lifted his head, seemingly unbothered. "The party has been set up in the back." He marched off in front of her as if he expected her to follow like a lost puppy.

Suddenly irritation combined with rebellion swirled up in her stomach and she turned on her heel. If Sam Uley intended to enter the backyard by going through the house, Bella would go through the gate outside.

* * *

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!"

Bella knew she should be singing, but really her attention was elsewhere.

The staring had resumed.

She couldn't really feel her body anymore. Her palms were sweaty but she couldn't move them to rub them against the sides of her shorts. Bella bit down on her lower lip, trying to feel _something_ other than the steady increase in her heartrate under his steel gaze, but it offered no distraction.

"Happy _birthday_ , dear Billy," the group around her continued. Sam wasn't singing, either, but Bella really wouldn't expect him to. He didn't seem like a sing-song kind of man. And Jacob probably wasn't joining in. Granted, Bella couldn't find the strength to look away from Sam to find out for sure, but she couldn't hear anything that sounded like cat dying after being hit by a car, so she assumed he was keeping silent. Her best friend wasn't the most musically talented.

"Happy birthday to you," everyone concluded. Charlie clasped a hand over Bella's shoulder, breaking her out of the trance she'd been under. Sue Clearwater snapped a picture as Billy Black leaned forward to blow out the single candle that was flickering in the middle of the cake. It went out and immediately lit up again, and did the same thing when Billy once again blew it out. A trick candle. The adults and children around her found it hilarious, and Bella felt a smile curl at her lips but no laughter bubbled up her throat. She was tense; _his_ eyes were still on her. She could feel them.

"Hey, Billy," Harry Clearwater called from the porch. The crowd turned to look at him. He held the wireless kitchen phone out to Billy, his hand over the receiver. "Rebecca's on the phone for you."

Billy's face lit up. "Sue, will you distribute the cake?"

She smiled at him. "Of course." Then she gestured to the general space next to her and increased the volume of her voice so that it stretched across the entire yard. As she spoke, the light chattering stopped as people gave her their attention. "Okay, everyone who wants cake can form an orderly right here!" Instantly she was flanked by four boys who looked like they'd be willing to rip each other's arms off for a piece of cake – Quil, Embry, Paul, and Jacob.

Jacob reached up to slap Paul on the back. "I think you should let me in front of you."

Paul snorted. "Not a chance."

"This is my yard!" Jacob yelled.

Paul rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture reminded Bella of Sam. "Oh, please. Don't even try to play that card. We both know –"

Bella zoned out as the argument droned on. Quil seemed to be taking his good old time choosing his piece. Bella imagined he didn't make it to the front of the line very often and wanted to bask in the spotlight for a little while longer.

"Exhausting to watch them, isn't it?"

Bella turned. She wasn't exactly sure when Charlie had walked away from her, but apparently he had, for now Sam Uley stood in his spot. "They fight like brothers," she said.

Something flashed in Sam's eyes. Excitement? Pride? "They _are_ brothers. In many ways."

Bella didn't ask for an explanation to try to understand that. "Have you enjoyed the party?" Now more people were moseying their way over to the picnic table. Embry reached up to shove Quil away from the cake, apparently tired of watching him look between two pieces that looked to be exactly the same.

"Oh, yes," Sam answered. He glanced over to Jacob's drunken Uncle Theo. _There_ Charlie was, Bella realized. Her father supported Theo as he stumbled. Sam and Bella watched him jab a finger in Charlie's face as he insisted _he was totally fine_ and _he'd only had a few beers_. Charlie snatched a set of car keys from him and held them out to his daughter, Jacob's cousin Kylie. She nodded at Charlie knowingly.

Sam chuckled next to Bella. "Theodore Black is always great entertainment."

"Well, if y'want tah drive meh home," Theo said loudly, and a few adults around them snickered, "ya gotta wait 'til I'm _ready_ ta _leave_."

Bella smiled. "Yeah, Jacob always has great family stories to tell."

Sam's expression darkened momentarily, but when he met Bella's gaze, his eyes softened. "Bella."

Bella's heart leaped when he said her name. "Yes?" Geez. What else could she say? She shifted her weight, nervous as she waited for him to continue.

"Would you like some dessert?"

Bella's hopes fell, and she had no idea why. Gosh, it was the very last question she imagined he'd ask. She'd thought he'd ask her something about herself . . . something personal . . .

. . . something romantic.

 _No!_ Bella was furious with herself. _No romance! You will not date this man!_

Oh, but the way he was looking at her . . . as if she were a prize, a gift – a treat for him to look at. Bella felt beautiful under his gaze.

Bella blinked. "Yes, that sounds nice."

He disappeared then, over to the end of the picnic table where Paul and Jacob still bickered back and forth. They were jabbing their index fingers into each other's chest, but as soon as Sam got within five feet of them, they instantly stopped and turned to him. They watched him, seeming to await some sort of direction. Sam crossed his arms over his chest. His back was to Bella, but she could he wasn't in the carefree, teasing mood he'd been in two seconds ago while he spoke to her. The muscles underneath his faded green T-shirt were tense. He said something to the others, who once again looked as though they were just mini versions of him. They both nodded vigorously at what he'd said and stepped aside. He stepped up to Sue, who gave him a knowing look – though what she knew, Bella didn't. And she wanted to. Badly.

Was Sam's secret the same as Jacob's?

Bella frowned at herself. Just because she didn't know what Sam had said to Paul and Jacob to get them to back off of each other didn't mean he had a secret. Honestly, the man made her crazy.

"Rebecca offers her apologies to everyone else for not being able to make it back home today," Billy announced from behind her. He rolled down the wheelchair ramp Bella was sure Jacob had built himself. _Himself_ being the most important part. This was before this cult of boys took over his life and turned him into the secretive jerk he'd recently become.

"I doubt that," Sam said. He set a small dessert plate down on the smaller, temporary picnic table next to them. Bella could tell it was old and not used very often. They'd only brought it out to create more seats. She sat down, rubbing her hands over the table anxiously. _Gosh_ he made her nervous. It was like she could _feel_ him next to her, like the air around them was vibrating. She felt Sam's deep voice rumbling through her chest as he continued, "Rebecca Black always hated the Rez. We all knew she'd leave the first chance she got. That girl will never be back – especially now that she's got that husband of hers."

Bella felt as though she needed to defend Rebecca. She'd been friends with her before Jacob, actually. "I don't know about that. I think she'll visit once she has a baby."

Sam must have sensed the distrustful tone in her voice and his expression shifted from strained to gentle. "Perhaps you're right."

 _That's it?_ Bella thought. _You've got nothing else to say?_

His eyes widened out of the ever-present glare as she stared up at him. _Who_ on _earth_ was this man? And how had he managed to completely throw Bella's heart out of whack? He licked his lips, and Bella found herself watching, suddenly wanting him to press them against hers. Her breath caught in her throat. "Um – d-do you live by yourself?"

 _Stupid!_ Bella almost rolled her eyes at herself. _That is the dumbest question you could have asked! Of_ course _he lives by himself, he's a twenty-two-year-old man!_

"Yes," Sam answered softly, "though it really doesn't feel like it. My house has somehow become the hangout for all of these morons." He jerked his head towards the corner of the yard where Jacob and the rest of the boys from the barbeque last week had gathered. Most of them had finished their cake. Paul was the only slowpoke, taking little bites as if he were trying to savor it. Jared and Seth were watching Collin chug cans of soda. His head was thrown back as he gulped. Three cans were lying in the soft grass by his feet and about six sat unopened and waiting on the little table next to them. Jared had a stopwatch in his hand. Briefly Bella wondered why Kim hadn't come with him today. Quil and Embry appeared to be in a deep argument. They spoke with wide, exaggerated hand gestures and animated facial expressions. Jacob sat back, smirking as they fought.

And then everything changed. Suddenly the entire party had gone tense. Quil had reached up to smack Embry on the back of the head, and Embry had retaliated by shoving him backwards by the shoulders. Quil stumbled backwards, unable to regain balance due to his abnormally large, muscular body, and smacked right into Paul, who'd been standing just three feet away. Paul was knocked straight onto his stomach with Quil landing on his back on top of him. Paul's cake suffered a worse fate – it smashed right onto his face; some icing even spattered up into his hair.

To the rest of the world, it was hilarious. To Paul, it was infuriating.

Bella blinked and suddenly Quil was on his back ten feet away. Bella gasped. Had Paul thrown him that far? How?

A stream of profanities flew from Paul's lips as he stood and stomped over to Quil, who sat up and watched him, preparing to defend himself. Obviously he wasn't prepared enough because Paul landed a solid punch to his jaw. Quil reared up, ready for a chance of his own, but he never got his chance.

Sam shot up from his chair, his body radiating fury and dominance. " _Enough_." It wasn't a yell. Actually, it was barely a statement. His body language was harsher than his voice; his hands fisted at his sides and caused the muscles in his arms to flex. Bella watched as he pinned the two with a rigid stare.

It seemed as though Sam's command had an effect on every boy in the group, not just Paul and Quil. Every one of them stopped moving. Their shoulders tensed and their heads snapped towards him, eyes wide and maybe a little fearful.

Bella tore her gaze away from Sam to look over at the adults around them. Her father stood next to Billy and Harry, watching the scene in front of him skeptically. Even though he didn't have his police uniform on, his hand was twitching towards his belt instinctively, to the place where his gun usually hung. Bella's heartrate picked up. If this fight grew any more violent, Charlie would step in and break it up. These boys were so . . . _large_. Strong. Charlie would get hurt.

But one look at Sam told her he would not let it escalate any farther.

Next to Charlie, Billy and Harry watched, but they didn't seem surprised, and that confused Bella immensely. It was like they'd expected some sort of fight to break out, but more so, as if they knew that Sam would be able to stop it. These boys were strong enough to do some serious damage. If an all-out brawl broke out, they could seriously injure someone – but no one really looked worried.

Sam glanced down at Bella. He reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. His thumb rubbed over her bottom lip. The feel of his fingers under her chin made her tingle. It was the first physical contact they'd had. Then just like that, he pulled his hand away and turned and his soft, gentle expression transformed into anger. He lifted his chin and strode over to the group of boys who stood motionless.

Bella bit her lip and wiggled her fingers in her lap, still feeling jittery from his touch. She strained to hear what he said to them. He faced away from her, blocking her view of his face, but the power in his voice told her he definitely wasn't smiling.

"I will not tolerate this," he growled. The boys all took a step back and bowed their heads, frowning at the ground. "You all must learn to control yourselves. You put more than yourselves in danger of injury when you give in to your anger. You endanger _us_ as a whole – you endanger this tribe, these people – because you know what will happen if your anger takes you to that edge that you cannot come back from." Paul and Quil nodded in agreement, but Sam wasn't finished yet. "But do you know what infuriates me the _most_? You almost put _Bella_ in danger. You think you've seen me angry before? Just _imagine_ the wrath that would fall upon your shoulders if _anything_ were to happen to her at _your_ hands." He looked to Jared. "Surely you can understand where I'm coming from."

Jared nodded. His eyes flickered down to the cell phone in his hands.

Sam looked over to Paul and Quil. "You two will be seeing a lot of running in your immediate future. Go. Blow off some steam." Without a word, they took off in opposite directions.

Bella had been right. There was definitely something big stirring between this group of friends – something different than anything she'd ever seen before. Her stomach knotted as she thought of herself having such an intense attraction to a gang leader. But something told her this wasn't a gang. It was a much stronger bond. This wasn't just a group of friends. They were family.

 _"They_ are _brothers. In many ways."_

Bella was beginning to see that.

Sam swaggered over to her slowly, approaching her as if he were afraid of frightening her. As he had just two minutes before, he reached over to grasp her chin. His thumb pulled her lip out from between her teeth. "You didn't finish your cake," he noted.

Bella looked at the chocolate cake with peanut butter icing and suddenly didn't have an appetite. "I'm – I'm not really hungry anymore."

Without another word, he sat and picked up the small plate. Using her fork, he lifted a piece to his lips. The entire plate was clean in a matter of seconds. Well, that's what it felt like to Bella, but then, she was too mesmerized by the sexiness of his using her fork to notice silly things like time passing.

Bella's eyes widened with epiphany. Fighting this attraction would be the right thing to do. But it would also be the most difficult.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Please tune in next week for Chapter Four! Leave me a review with thoughts, predictions, and your favorite line from this chapter!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Four**

It was raining, as usual. Bella wasn't surprised. But settling deep in her chest was another feeling. She wasn't her usual restless, anxious self. Her entire body was calm, relaxed. She actually felt as though she would sleep through the whole night instead of tossing and turning.

Bella sat staring out of her bedroom window. She caught sight of two raindrops descending and watched them race. She bet that the raindrop on the right would make it to the window seal first but at the last moment the one on the left surged forward and took the win.

Bella shook her head at herself. She felt like a child again. She felt spontaneous and silly and . . . giddy. And she knew it was because of him. Of Sam.

She could still feel his hand under her chin, tilting her head up so she would meet his eyes. Bella would never admit it to anyone but herself, but she'd been – dare she think it? – turned on by his domineering side. His asserting of his authority over Jacob and the others had made him even more attractive to her, and Bella both loved and hated it.

She wanted to love someone. But that someone couldn't be just _anyone_. He had to be special – he had to be the right man. Her missing piece. The one who made her feel whole. How many movies had she seen that stared beautiful actresses with handsome actors to fall in love with? She wanted to be as happy as those characters seemed.

But those characters didn't always get their happy endings, and that was the part that scared Bella. She was terrified to open her heart and watch it be stomped on by a man she cared about. Could she open her heart to Sam? Could he be trusted? Would a relationship between the two of them even last?

Bella sighed. She'd been tossing this around in her head for half an hour while she should have been starting dinner. Charlie would be home soon and he would be hungry. Actually, she was getting hungry, too. She stretched her legs out and rubbed them back and forth against the carpet. Her eyes were drawn back to the window. She squinted through the fuzziness of the rain, watching the trees as they swayed back and forth with the wind. She felt a deeper connection with the wilderness – with the forest and the dirt and the trees and the animals. Knowing her home was surrounded by forestry made Bella feel oddly safe and protected. It was a feeling she'd never felt before but certainly wasn't complaining about. She just wished she had an explanation for it.

Deciding she'd sat and stared outside long enough for one day, she heaved herself up onto her feet and bounced carefully down the stairs to the kitchen. She quickly went to work, preheating the oven for the chicken and searching the pantry for some kind of vegetable to pair it with. While the food was heating and cooking and simmering, she set the table and made sure there were at two beers in the fridge for Charlie to have – one with dinner and one with the evening baseball game. She also sat an empty glass by his regular, worn-out chair because he sometimes opted for water or soda with his meal instead. Bella had everything down to a science; it was a process that worked perfectly and got the job done. Perfectly predictable and functioning – just the way she liked it.

And then there was a knock at the door, and Bella was thrown for a loop. A visitor ten minutes before dinner would be ready was definitely _not_ a part of the perfectly functioning process.

Who on earth would be knocking on someone's door at this time of the evening? Not only was it dinner time, but the sun was slowly setting and the sky was darkening. The daylight was dim and it was only six thirty. The darkness setting in so early in the summer time meant they would be getting another horrid storm this evening. Perhaps Bella wouldn't be sleeping as soundly as she'd thought.

Bella peaked through the small blind that covered the window of the front door and gasped. Tan, muscled arms were folded over a faded brown T-shirt that no doubt covered up tense, tight shoulder blades and a solid six pack. Bella didn't even have to look up at his face to know it was Sam Uley. But the thing that scared her most was that she'd expected it was him before she'd even left her kitchen. She swallowed and ran a hand through her hair and licked her lips instinctively. She turned the knob with anxious, shaking fingers. And then they were standing face-to-face.

Had it really only been two days since they'd last seen each other? It had felt like a lifetime. And by the way Sam's eyes were synchronizing Bella, drinking the sight of her in, he felt the same way.

He spoke first – which was good because Bella would have stood there and stared at him until Charlie got home. "Bella."

 _A man of few words_. She sucked in a deep breath. "Sam," she whispered. She couldn't find her voice anywhere in her body. Actually, she couldn't find her brain. _Form words. Oh my_ Gosh _form words. Say something, anything other than his name or your name!_

"Forgive me for intruding," he finally continued. "I know you're probably busy but . . ." His eyes flickered around and his jaw tensed. "I just – um, wanted to see you."

"Why?" She hadn't meant for it to sound as blunt and rude as it did, but she'd blurted it out without thinking and she couldn't take it back.

He blinked. Was he nervous? Was his heart beating as quickly as Bella's was? "I know Chief Swan works long hours during the week," he explained, "and I just wanted to make sure you're okay on your own. Forks is a quiet place, but . . . things happen."

Bella knew she should have been offended at his assuming she couldn't take care of herself. She didn't need him to come and check up on her. And if she were speaking to any other guy – say, Jacob for example – she would have said so, and she probably would have stomped loudly as she scolded him. But Sam was _not_ Jacob, and something about Sam's protective nature warmed Bella's heart instead of angering her. She was more annoyed with herself for feeling this way than she was at Sam's assumption that she was weak and defenseless. "Oh," she breathed. "That's . . . very nice of you. To think of me."

He clear brown eyes stared right into hers. "That's all I ever do, Bella."

Bella felt lightheaded all of a sudden. He was just so _intense_ – so serious. She'd only just met him, but he was making admissions that shocked her to her core. Part of her hoped she'd just imagined his words, but another part did not. It was _romantic_. And Bella was frightened by the desire to keep him there that swirled up in her. She couldn't bear the thought of him turning and walking away, so before she could give it a second thought, she opened her mouth and exclaimed, "Stay for dinner?"

Sam's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that. "Yes. I would love to."

There it was. Simple. Easy. Exactly what Bella wanted.

She just wished it hadn't been so unexpected.

Behind her, she heard the kitchen phone ring, but her feet wouldn't move. She was frozen in place. Then Sam's eyes lifted from hers and flickered inside. Bella jolted and realized if he was really staying for dinner she would need to invite him in. "Oh, um – come in. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." She stepped aside and opened the door _much_ wider so he had a hope of entering without smacking his shoulders on the doorframe.

He took in a deep breath as soon as he marched inside. His hands fell to his sides and he lifted his chin high. With absolutely no direction at all, he strode confidently to the kitchen.

Bella closed the door behind her and followed. She reentered the kitchen just as the timer on the oven sounded. She felt Sam's eyes on her as she slipped on the oven mitts and opened the door. A blast of heat blew up onto her face and she blinked against it. She plopped the pan down onto the stove and turned.

And her stomach about fell onto the floor.

Sam had taken a seat at the table. And naturally, he'd chosen one of the seats that had a plate and silverware already set up. And of course – because irony was Bella's enemy – he'd chosen Charlie's seat.

 _Oh my gosh_. She felt her heart hammering in her chest. She'd forgotten about Charlie completely. It was Sam Uley's presence – it took away her ability to think coherently. _How am I going to explain him to Charlie?_

"Um – that's my dad's chair," she said. "Let me get you a plate." It would be one thing when Charlie came home and found a man he'd probably only ever spoken ten words to sitting in his kitchen. It would be another thing entirely if he were sitting in his usual seat.

Sam stood silently and moved to take a seat in the next chair over. When Bella leaned over to sit a clean plate and silverware in front of him, her hair brushed against his shoulder. He turned his head, allowing his nose to brush against Bella's cheek. It was an intimate gesture that sent Bella's heart into a frantic rhythm and sent a blush surging to the surface of her cheeks.

And then the lights of Charlie's police car flashed through the window and Bella startled. She straightened and stumbled backwards, bracing her hands behind her against the counter. Sam watched her carefully, curiously, wondering at her reaction. Oh, no. Did he think she'd backed away from him because she didn't like him? Because she didn't feel anything for him? Surely he realized she'd only moved away because her father was home.

A car door slammed outside and Sam's head snapped towards the front door, as if he'd only just realized Charlie had arrived. His nicely toned shoulders tensed.

With the window above the sink open, Bella could hear Charlie's keys jingling as he unlocked the front door. A thought popped into Bella's head. She hadn't noticed before if a car other than her red, rusted truck sat outside. Charlie had pulled into the driveway without a moment of hesitation or a single problem. Had Sam not driven a car here? Surely no man could walk from La Push to Forks and not be exhausted upon arrival. Bella sneaked a peek at Sam out of the corner of her eye and found him watching her, too. Always watching her. He didn't _look_ exhausted. Actually, he didn't even appear to be tired. He wore tennis shoes, though. Shoes made for hiking. Perhaps he _had_ walked all the way there.

Needing to distract herself from Sam's gaze and Charlie's ever-nearing footsteps, she turned her back and focused on the stove. She turned down the heat setting of the burner that was heating up the green beans and stirred them, dropping a little butter onto them for flavor.

Charlie opened the front door and closed it behind him. His belt rattled as he unbuckled it and hung it on the hook on the wall. Bella sighed in relief. _Thank God. If this ends badly, Sam will have a chance to escape before he can get to his gun._

"Hey, Bells," he called loudly, assuming she was upstairs because she hadn't called out her usual greeting. "What's for dinner?"

She cleared her throat. "I made that chicken I got at the store on Sunday," she answered. "And green beans to go with it. Do you want a salad?" She turned and looked at her unexpected house guest to let him know the question was extended to him as well.

Sam nodded.

Charlie rounded the corner.

Bella swallowed.

"Do we have ranch dressing?" Charlie asked. His eyes were on his cell phone. "If we do, I'll have one. If not, I'll get some tomorrow and we can –" He looked up, saw Sam, and froze.

Sam stood and extended his hand politely. "Chief Swan," he greeted.

Charlie stepped to shake his hand. His eyes were wide with shock. "Sam Uley," he muttered. "No offense, but this is kind of the last place I'd expect to see you." Translation: What the hell are you doing alone with my daughter in my house at dinner time?

Sam gave the most dazzling smile Bella had ever seen. "I just stopped by to say hello, and Bella was kind enough to offer to feed me."

Charlie stared at him pensively, unsure what to make of this situation. He glanced at Bella, and for the brief second their eyes met, he asked her a thousand questions. "Well, she certainly makes enough food to feed an army. Welcome." It was half-hearted, but polite. He sat his phone down on the kitchen table and picked up his glass. When he went over to the fridge to fill it with iced water, Bella could breathe again. That meant Charlie had decided to not make a big deal out of this – at least, not until Sam was gone and he could demand answers from his daughter.

Bella swallowed. "Sam, would you like something to drink?" She still couldn't believe he was actually sitting in her kitchen.

He nodded. "Yes. Anything is fine."

"We've got beer," Charlie offered.

Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That would be great."

Charlie surprised Bella by opening the fridge and getting it for him. He was being extremely calm about this. Bella knew she was in for an awkward interview later.

She turned back to the chicken and began cutting it, trying to hide the blush that had settled on her cheeks. She heard the beer can pop open and pictured him bringing it up to his lips.

 _His lips . . ._

Bella shook her head of the image.

"So, Sam," Charlie began conversationally. "How long have you and Bella been friends?"

Bella coughed. Of _course_ Charlie would find a way to make this even more awkward than it already was. Bella and Sam weren't friends at all. She could count on one hand the number of sentences they'd spoken to each other.

Sam cleared his throat and Bella turned to watch him. "We met through Jacob at the beginning of the summer." The way he said it made it sound like that had been weeks ago – but really it had only been, what – about two weeks?

Charlie nodded in acceptance. "Jake's a good kid."

Sam grinned a little. "Yes, he is. All of them are." Both Bella and Charlie knew he was referring to the rest of the boys in the group. "They have their troubles – but everyone does." Was he speaking of Jacob and the others . . . or himself? Perhaps he's aware that his reputation has preceded him and is trying to defend himself in Charlie's eyes. If he knew everyone thought he was leading a gang, why wouldn't he correct them? Or, if they really _were_ a gang, why wouldn't he at least try to convince them they weren't? It didn't make sense.

"Sam and Jake are a lot alike," Bella added. The judgmental look in Charlie's eyes was irritating her, but she had no idea why she wanted so much for her father to accept a man she barely knew. As she waited for the seasoning to settle into the chicken, she went to check on the dressing situation. They did, indeed, have ranch dressing, and she pulled it out along with the cheese and lettuce. Then she paused and looked over to their guest. "What kind of dressing do you want on your salad?"

Sam sat up straighter and leaned his elbows onto the table. "The ranch is fine."

Charlie cleared his throat. "Well, I'm gonna run up to the bathroom. Which is right upstairs. Right around the corner here. Not very far away at all. Perfectly within hearing distance. And I'll be back very soon." He stood very slowly, narrowing his eyes between Bella and Sam as they watched him. Sam was amused; Bella was embarrassed and turning pinker by the second.

They both listened silently as he climbed the creaky stairs, letting out a lazy groan of complaint when he got tired halfway up. Then Bella went up on tiptoe and reached for the salad bowls, which had somehow ended up on the top shelf of one of the cabinets above the counter. She stretched as far as she could, but the bowls were still a few inches out of her reach.

And then suddenly there was a deep warmth behind her body. A calloused hand shot up to grab the bowls and place them on the counter where she could easily reach them. His chest brushed against her back and sparks shot through her body. She could smell his spicy, aromatic scent surrounding her and caught herself wishing they could stay that way forever. She tilted her head back so she could look at him and found him leaning down towards her. Their noses brushed; she could feel his deep, even exhales against her dry lips. Four centimeters separated them from the steamiest first kiss Bella could possibly imagine. His long fingers wrapped around her waist in an intimate embrace. She didn't know how long they stood there, just watching each other, Sam inhaling deeply.

But Charlie was just upstairs and would be returning any minute, and Bella had barely known this man for two weeks. She wasn't about to kiss him without even knowing his middle name. She needed to make sure he knew he would have to work hard if he wanted a relationship with her.

She didn't know how long they stood there, just watching each other, Sam inhaling deeply. Oh, she could _feel_ the heat radiating off of his skin! How had she not noticed that before? He had to be running a temperature. She pulled her head back slightly, trying to clear her head. "Are you feeling alright?" she whispered.

He leaned his other hand, the one that was not caressing her hip, to rest it on the counter behind her. A button on Bella's jeans got caught on the handle of a drawer as she shifted her weight but she ignored it. "I'm great," he answered softly. His eyes were on her lips and she wished with all her heart she could read his mind.

Bella wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"I'm absolutely fine," he assured her. "I have a naturally high temperature. It's not something to worry about." Then he released her and stepped away, settling back into his seat just as Charlie stuck his head around the corner. Bella spun around and stirred the green beans, trying to get the blush to leave her cheeks before Charlie called attention to it.

The kitchen was silent for a few minutes before Bella announced, "Okay, dinner is ready. Let's eat."

* * *

 **This scene will be continued in the next chapter. I have to say, this chapter has been my favorite to write so far. Thank you for reading. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought - predictions, comments, etc.**

 **See you in Chapter Five.**


	5. Chapter Five

**I have a few questions from reviews that I've responded to privately already, but I thought all of my readers needed these answers as well.**

 ** _Q - "Based on the summary, of Bella claiming to have never been in love, one can assume that this isn't a New Moon AU, right? Does this mean that Bella has been in Forks all her life, or is she still relatively new to the town? If that's the case, how did she and Jacob become such good friends? Also, where is Renee? There hasn't been any mention of her."_**

 **A - I have actually mentioned this in the chapters already. Bella did live with Renee for a long time but she spent a lot more time with Charlie. In my story, Bella moved in with Charlie because Renee remarried, but she's a lot closer with Charlie than Stephenie Meyer created her to be. Because she spent most of the summer with Charlie for years and years, Jacob and Bella were able to become friends. In this story, Bella's been back in Forks permanently for a few weeks - plenty of time for the two of them to reconnect again. Bella likes control because never really had it in the past, being shoved back and forth between her dad and her mom and her mom's random boyfriends. She's finally old enough to control her own life and she wants to keep it that way. Introduce Sam - and I'm sure you can see that Bella's plans will be challenged.**

 _ **Q - "Where are the Cullens? Will they be making an appearance in the story?"**_

 **A - Keep reading to find out.**

 ** _Q - "I wonder and worry about this Bella. Why does she wonder about taking a chance on love? Why is she so skeptical? A typical teenage girl isn't afraid of dating. Isn't that what this is or would be from a girls POV? Why is she scared? It doesn't feel like a typical reaction for a teen."_**

 **A - My Bella is not a typical teenage girl. Stephenie Meyer's Bella - the original Bella - did not react the way a normal teen did, if you remember. Edward commented about her maturity and seriousness multiple times. My version of Bella is the same Bella - only intensified. Yes, Bella is very serious and uptight and set in her ways. That's a very important character trait for her to have.**

 ** _Q - "[Bella]_ _is so rigid and methodical in her actions and thinking. It's got to be almost paralyzing to live like that. I mean what normal girl freaks about an unscheduled knock at the door."_**

 **A - Once again, yes. That's my Bella. That's her personality. I think it leaves a lot of room for a certain sexy Alpha wolf to turn her world upside-down.**

 ** _Q - What's with Charlie being such a jerk?_**

 **A - Charlie is being the protective dad that I wanted him to be in Twilight. I thought he was too absent to be called a dad in the original series. He needs to be involved in her life - and c'mon. This is a man he's only ever met once before, and the entire town thinks he's a gang leader, for Pete's sake. Are you telling me he should let his daughter hang around a strange man who may or may not be a violent criminal? Especially since he's the Chief of Police? Charlie needs to learn about Sam, bond with Sam, and learn to trust Sam. He doesn't know him at all. Charlie just needs to learn that Sam is a good guy, and that will take time.**

 _ **Q - Did Sam imprint on Bella, or are they just mated?**_

 **A - Keep reading to find out.**

 **Well, that was a lot longer than I intended it to be, but oh well. Half of you will have skipped over it anyways and went right to the chapter. But from the bottom of my heart - thank you for reading this if you did.**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **This scene picks up right where Chapter Four left off - just in case you need a refresher.**

 **Chapter Five**

Sam and Charlie both sat with their eyes glued to the television. Charlie occupied his reclining chair, as usual, while Sam sat stiffly on the couch. Bella glanced into the room when the silence had dragged on for a nerve-wracking amount of time to make sure Charlie hadn't somehow killed Sam without her realizing it. When she peeked her head around the corner, Sam's head turned towards her as if he could sense her eyes on him. Their gazes met and a blush flew onto Bella's cheeks. He lowered his head, watching her closely. His eyes swept over her body slowly. She disappeared back into the kitchen, her heart flying.

She went to work doing the dishes. And it was a great distraction for her – until she felt a presence behind her.

His deep voice rattled her entire body. "Do you need any help?"

She licked her lips. "I've got it. There really aren't that many." Bella was surprised Charlie hadn't followed him into the kitchen – even if there _was_ a baseball game on.

"Chief Swan is asleep," Sam explained as if he could read her mind.

"Oh," Bella breathed. She bit her lip nervously and tried to think of another way to continue the conversation but came up short. She widened her eyes at him as the silence stretched on.

Sam stood perfectly still, watching her fingers as she twisted the dishrag through her fingers. She felt anxiety rolling off her body and she tilted her head to brush her ear against her shoulder shyly. His own shoulders tensed and he froze mid-breath, eyes zeroing in on her newly-exposed neck.

Bella straightened. The pressure in the room finally became too much and she _just couldn't take it anymore_. He was just _watching_ her – _always watching her!_ – and he was silent and brooding and controlling and sexy and infuriating and heartwarming and dominant and powerful and strong and attractive –

And Bella couldn't stand that he'd just popped up out of nowhere and caught her off-guard. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was having unanswered questions. Of course, she hated being rude to a house guest as well, but that didn't stop her from blurting, "What are you doing here, Sam?"

He blinked but said nothing, so Bella continued. "I-I mean, it's not like we're such great friends that you should really worry about me. If anything, that's Jake's job."

Sam's eyes flashed with momentary anger as she mentioned her best friend, but he remained silent once again.

Bella shook her head. "I don't understand you."

"But you could," he said vaguely.

"What does that mean?" Bella demanded. She heard her complaint echo around the tiny kitchen and quieted herself. If Charlie woke, he would interrupt this discussion within a second, and Bella really needed answers.

"I want us to get to know each other, Bella," he said lowly. He inched forward slowly, as if he were approaching a rabbit and didn't want it to hop away.

Bella ignored the fact that he hadn't answered her previous question or provided any clarification at all. "Why?"

He stepped closer. "Because we have a connection that you cannot deny." Bella's heart practically stopped. He'd done it again – the unexpected. Bella hadn't anticipated him admitting to feeling any sort of attraction to her. And she suddenly couldn't think, let alone form a response. Sam took that opportunity to move _even closer_ to her. Now the two were standing almost toe-to-toe. He exhaled loudly, deeply, and Bella felt it fan over her face. She blinked against the air and felt her breathing hitch. He reached up to place his hands on the counter behind her, placing one palm on each side of her hips. He'd caged her in once again, but he didn't need to. Bella couldn't run if she wanted to. And she definitely didn't want to.

"But we shouldn't," Bella finally whispered. "We've only known each other for two weeks, Sam." _Oh,_ it felt good so say his name. She'd thought it over and over in her head, heard it in her dreams, but it was marvelous to let it pass through her lips. "We shouldn't feel anything for each other. And – and think about what it would do to _Jake_."

There was an angry rumble deep in his chest. "Jacob has nothing to do with us, Bella."

"He has everything to do with us," she contradicted stubbornly. "He introduced us!"

"We didn't need Jacob, Bella," he murmured, leaning down and dropping his head so he could meet her gaze again. "We would have met on our own if he hadn't introduced us."

Bella shook her head. Some of her hair brushed against Sam's shoulder and he closed his eyes for a brief second, inhaling deeply. "How can you be sure?"

He stared at her for a moment, thinking. Finally, he reached up to brush his thumb against her cheek. Sparks flew through her entire body and she gasped. "You feel it, too, Bella," he whispered. "You feel the attraction – the chemistry. I promise you I would have found you without Jacob's help. I will always find you, Bella."

She should have been frightened by that statement. The little red flag should have shot up to caution her against stalker tendencies. But instead, Bella felt safe, protected, cared for. Desirable. "I still don't understand. I have so many questions."

"I'm sure you do," he said, "and I will answer them in time." He leaned down to press his nose against her temple gently. His lips brushed against her cheek and Bella's body ignited. She carefully reached out to press her palm on his chest, fisting his faded T-shirt in her hand. The material was soft and served as the perfect opposite to his dominant personality. She could feel his abnormal heat through the thin fabric, and even though it was a hot summer night outside, she welcomed it.

Bella pulled back to look at his face. His eyebrows pulled down in concern as she continued to synchronize his face. His eyes flickered to her rosy lips. They called his name, begged him to press his own against them . . .

They'd known each other for two weeks, and Sam's control was slipping. Logically, he knew they needed to build up a friendship before escalating it to a romantic relationship. And they would do that.

But he needed a kiss first.

Just one kiss. One peck.

Then he'd be able to ignore the siren call that pulled him towards her. He hoped.

Slowly – agonizingly slowly – he leaned his head down towards her. Their noses brushed. Their eyes locked. And their lips met.

It was gentle, but more passionate than Bella could have ever imagined it.

The footrest of the reclining chair in the living room clicked as it was put down. Charlie grunted as he heaved himself up and out of his seat.

Bella's eyes snapped open. All too quickly, their moment was over and Sam was pulling away. His eyes, a dark brown before, were now a lighter caramel. Almost approaching yellow.

 _Primal_. Bella pushed the thought away. It didn't make sense.

"How long does it take for those brownies in the box to bake, Bella?" her father called.

Sam leaned back and stepped away, sitting himself down in the chair he'd occupied at dinner. Charlie was cracking his neck as he entered the room with an empty beer can in his hand. He startled when he saw Sam but his shoulders sagged in recognition after a moment. "Sorry," he grumbled, not looking apologetic at all. "It was kind of a long day."

Sam shook his head. "It's no problem. I imagine being the Chief of Police is very demanding."

There was an awkward silence. "The brownies take about fifteen minutes to make," Bella informed. She was very proud that her voice sounded as calm as it did. She was sure she wasn't giving Charlie any clue of what he'd missed. "I could go for something sweet. I'll make them now." She retrieved the box from the pantry and glanced at the ingredients and directions. "Will you have some, Sam?"

Their eyes met. "Sure," he agreed. "That sounds wonderful."

"Well, I'm gonna run up to the bathroom before the game comes back on," Charlie muttered. He glanced between Bella and Sam warily, hesitating to leave them alone. He obviously didn't feel comfortable leaving his daughter alone with a man who half the town expected was gang leader. Annoyance bloomed in Bella's stomach. He didn't have a problem with her hanging out with _Jacob_. And if Sam was the leader of the gang, then Jacob was a member of it – and in Bella's mind, that was basically the same thing.

Sam's lips pressed together in a grim line and he rested his hands lightly on the table in front of him. Bella poured the brownie mix into a bowl and opened the fridge to get the milk, eggs, and butter to combine with it. She ignored Charlie as he waited for her to make eye contact with him, probably so he could give her a warning look – _Make sure he doesn't kidnap you until I get back._ Finally, he sighed heavily and stomped up the stairs. Sam's eyebrows pulled closer together each time the steps creaked and cracked. Bella frowned apologetically.

"It seems to me that you are the caregiver in this household instead of your father," he noted.

Bella sighed. Her fingers gripped the mixing bowl as she whisked the batter together. "Charlie is a lot more incapable than he looks," she said lightly. "People give him too much credit."

Sam smiled, but then grew serious. He stood and sauntered over to her slowly. "Join us for another bonfire this Friday evening," he invited. _Who, exactly, is 'us'?_ Bella wondered. Charlie would absolutely _not_ be okay with her attending a party with a host and guests who have reputations like Sam's. Sam must have read the hesitation and concern in her eyes because he explained, "The Clearwater family invites their entire street over for a monthly block party. I know Sue Clearwater adores you. She'd be thrilled if you joined us."

The Clearwaters' house? He was going to hang out at the _Clearwaters'_ house where there will be alcohol and romantic moonlight and Leah Clearwater? Leah Clearwater, a girl who'd sat in Jacob's kitchen not two weeks ago, babbling to Kim about how passionate his kiss had been and how she'd like to go on another date with him? Jealousy surged through Bella like wildfire, but she bit her lip. She'd already promised Jessica Stanley that she would go to Port Angeles with her that evening and help her find the perfect dress to wear on Saturday, when she would be going on her first date with Mike Newton. If she agreed to go with Sam, she would have to cancel her plans. And if she cancelled her plans for him, she relinquished some of her control.

But was she willing to let him go spend the evening with a girl he had a history with?

Yes. Yes, of course she was. After all, Bella and Sam were barely friends. She'd met him two weeks ago, he'd come over for dinner unexpectedly, they'd chatted – and kissed once. That didn't make them a couple. Even if that was what Bella wanted more than she'd ever wanted anything before. She shouldn't cancel her plans with a good friend because a man had invited her along to a party at his ex-girlfriend's house. She was more confident in herself than that.

But what if he saw Leah and decided he wanted another date, too? What if Bella's rejection pushed him back into arms? Would he think she didn't like him if she didn't go?

 _Why does it matter?_ she scolded herself. She had a plan! High school, college, career, and _then_ love and romance and marriage and kids. _In that order!_ Bella knew exactly what she wanted out of life and how to get it, and having a relationship with Sam Uley was _not_ a part of that plan! _Let him go to the party,_ she ordered herself. _Let him fall in love with Leah. You need to keep your life on track!_ Bella would not let herself end up like her mother – forty years old and financially, emotionally dependent on her twenty-eight-year-old husband, and living in a town she despised more than anything. Bella wanted happiness.

 _But what if Sam can give you that happiness? What if he's your soulmate? What if you're meant to be with him?_

Ah! Bella's stomach flip-flopped as she went back and forth, contradicting herself. She needed to make a decision fast, before Sam realized she was more or less talking to herself in her head. She opened her mouth and blurted out, "Okay!"

Sam broke into a grin. "Should I pick you up?"

"Um –" _No. No. No. You're already changing your plans for him. You will not give him all of the control in this relationship! Stand your ground, stand your ground!_ She bit her lip. "You know, I think I'd rather drive myself. Besides – it's a bonfire. I'm sure you'd like to have a few drinks, and if you don't have to worry about getting me home, you won't have to worry about driving anywhere." There. That was a perfect excuse.

He nodded in acceptance. "Alright. We eat at six thirty, and the bonfire is lit at eight."

"I'll bring a pie," she whispered.

He smiled. "Excellent."

The oven beeped to inform her it had been heated to a roasting four hundred degrees. Bella remembered herself and poured the brownie mix into a small pan and carefully placed it on the center rack. As she leaned over and felt the heat blowing up onto her face, she couldn't help but compare this heat to the warmth that radiated of Sam's skin. Bella straightened and closed the door. Sam caught her gaze, and Bella found that she couldn't look away, so she counted to number of beeps that came from behind her as she set the oven timer instead of watching the tiny screen. When she was finished, Sam stepped forward and connected their lips again. Bella gasped as his hands slid around her waist and pulled her against him. Her own hands slid up to rest on his chest. He lifted her and sat her down on the counter behind her so he didn't have to bend down quite so far. The kiss deepened and Bella wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, threading her fingers in his hair.

Oh, yes. Bella had made the right choice in choosing Sam over Jessica. She didn't even like to shop, anyway. She sighed contently.

He broke the kiss off suddenly; his head snapped to the right, towards the window. His eyes widened and he froze.

"What?" Bella whispered, breathless. She kept her arms clasped around his neck, ready to pull him back down to her level. She was _not_ ready to stop kissing him yet. After all, she knew the effect lettuce had on Charlie, and he'd eaten two bowls of salad that evening. He wouldn't be making an appearance for _quite_ a while.

Sam said nothing, continuing to stare blankly outside. His eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the side, listening. Bella thought she heard a howl echo through the woods; perhaps the Benson's German Shepard had escaped from their yard again and was running through the woods. Sam eyes flashed with the same yellow glow she'd seen earlier and Bella gasped. He glanced down at her briefly and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before returning his concentration outside again. Bella could feel his hands fisted against the small of her back, but he was tender with her. She realized he was _always_ gentle towards her, even if he was in the worst of moods.

"Sam," she insisted. "What is it? What's wrong?" He was acting strange, and his worry kicked up her anxiety. Had he seen something outside, heard something dangerous?

He blinked. "I have to go," he grunted. He released her from his grasp and backed away without taking his eyes off of the window. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear blindly. "I'll see you on Friday. Be safe, alright? Please – stay inside for the rest of the night. Lock your door behind me." He met her gaze and his expression softened when he saw the fret and unease written all over her face. He freed her bottom lip from her teeth with his thumb. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Thank you for dinner – it was delicious. I wish I could stay for those brownies, but –" He stopped, frowning. "There's something that needs my immediate attention."

Could he be any vaguer? Bella almost asked, but he swooped down to peck her on the lips once more. She removed her arms from his neck and he lifted her from the counter. She instantly missed being able to run her fingers through his hair. Standing side-by-side, Bella's head barely reached his shoulders.

"Stay safe," he whispered, "and be careful. Please – stay inside tonight."

Bella didn't know what to say to that, so she simply nodded.

"Thank you." And then he was gone. Bella stood there like an idiot in her kitchen for a few moments, blinking and attempting to clear her thoughts. She waited to hear a car start, but after a two minutes went by, she wobbled over to the front door and peeked outside. The only cars in sight were her truck and Charlie's police car, and Sam was nowhere to be found.

Bella remembered what he'd said and reached up to slide the deadbolt into place. Keeping her hand resting on the door, Bella shifted her weight and pressed her fingers to her lips. And then she realized –

She and Sam had shared their first kisses in the tiny kitchen in Charlie's creaky old house.

And it had been as special as it possibly could have been.

* * *

Bella bounced up and down on her bed with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She didn't know why she was so anxious. "I just wondered if maybe we could change our evening shopping adventure to an afternoon shopping adventure." She didn't even know why she was bothering. Reasoning with Jessica Stanley was impossible.

"Why?" Jessica demanded. "What else do you have planned?"

"I just have a lot to do that evening," Bella explained, trying not to sound annoyed with Jessica's blunt rudeness. Really it was none of her business – Bella's cancelling didn't give Jessica the right to know Bella's entire life story. "The afternoon would really be better. We could do lunch at that good Italian restaurant after you find your dress," she suggested. Sweetening the deal would be the only way she could possibly pull this off without having to tell her about the bonfire. She needed to distract Jessica.

"Oh, yeah!" Jess hollered. "Mike's cousin just got hired there. She's a hostess . . . or waitress? I don't know, I wasn't really listening when he told me."

Bella rolled her eyes at Jessica's selfishness. She crawled off of her bed and moved to sit down next to the window. She looked out into the darkness, wondering what had been so urgent as to force Sam to leave so abruptly. Downstairs, Charlie was cheering as his favorite baseball team of the week won their game. Bella ran her fingers over the carpet beneath her mindlessly. "So it's settled then," she said into the phone. "Shopping in Port Angeles, and then lunch."

"Perfect!" Jessica squealed. "I'm so excited!" She launched into a very detailed description of the exact dress she hoped to find, down to the kind of fabric it would be made out of and the height of the heels of the shoes she would by.

Bella zoned out, her thoughts drifting back to Sam. She thought about his hands, his eyes, his hair – _everything_. Logically, rationally, she knew she needed to be careful and take this relationship slowly. After all, she was still waiting for her chance to get the answers to the questions that were flying through her head. She knew so little about Sam, but she wanted to learn about him. She wanted to know him. Her intense attraction to him hadn't been a part of the plan when she'd returned from Arizona . . .

But for the first time, Bella was okay with the unanticipated. Suddenly Friday couldn't come soon enough. She had no idea what was going to happen – and she was excited to find out.

* * *

 **Once again, thank you for reading! Please leave me a review. I love to have feedback. Give me your favorite line from the chapter, predictions - anything.**

 **See you in Chapter Six.**


	6. Chapter Six

**This is an extra long chapter because I had so much fun writing it. I kept going and going and going and when I was finished with it, I looked it over and couldn't find a good spot to split it up, so . . . here it is.**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Six**

"Jacob's gonna be there, too, right?" Charlie hovered in the doorway of Bella's bedroom, watching her glance back and forth between two different colored tank tops as she tried to decide which one to wear. "You'll have someone to look out for you?"

Bella removed the purple tank from the hanger and hung the green one back in her closet. "I don't need Jacob to look out for me, Dad," she reminded him, "but yes, Jacob will be there. I'll be home before eleven o'clock, I promise."

"Midnight," he offered. Bella spun to give him a surprised look. He grinned. "You've been spending too much time alone in this house, Bells. I want you to go out and have fun." He paused, thinking, and then hurriedly added, "But not too much fun. Don't come home drunk."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I'll be avoiding alcohol completely. And don't forget – this bonfire was Sue Clearwater's idea, and I doubt she'd even consider letting the minors drink. There will be plenty of adults there, too." She retrieved a pair of jean shorts from her dresser and laid them out on the bed beside the tank top. She hesitated before adding, "You know, Jake said Harry and Sue would love it if you would come, too," then peered at her father, trying to not to look hopeful that he'd say no. Bella was going to use this as her chance to spend more time with Sam. She wouldn't be able to do that with Charlie watching her out of the corner of his eye the entire evening.

Charlie shook his head, and Bella busied herself with finding a pair of shoes to keep him from seeing the relief on her face. "Nah, I gotta be in bed early. I gotta be at the station at seven tomorrow morning. There're a few cases I need to look at before the staff comes in."

Bella nodded. She found a pair of flip flops that matched the tank top perfectly. She only hoped they wouldn't bump her clumsiness up a notch.

* * *

The Clearwater household was certainly crawling with life. Just like with Billy's birthday celebration, there weren't many cars in the driveway. As she jumped down from the seat of her truck, she heard chatter and laughter echoing off of the trees from the backyard. Bella grabbed the apple and cherry pies from the passenger's seat and wobbled up the front steps and knocked timidly on the door. She didn't feel entirely like she belonged there. She was an outsider.

Until Quil hooted from behind her. "Bella! Glad you could join us!"

She spun to assess him. "Wait a minute," she exclaimed. She was _positive_ no one had been there two seconds ago, but there he was, strutting towards her with hands stuffed in his pockets. "Did you just appear out of thin air?"

Quil shrugged. "No one's gonna answer the door because everyone's out back. C'mon." He beckoned her with a casual wave towards him. "There's an entrance in the back through the gate." He turned and walked away, assuming Bella would just follow, but instead she evaluated him a little more. He wore a pair of khaki shorts, extremely-worn tennis shoes, and no shirt, but as Bella squinted, she saw no tan lines on his shoulders. His entire body was the exact same shade, no interruptions or bleeps or marks anywhere to be seen, which made Bella think.

 _Does he never wear a shirt when he's outside? Do any of them?_ They'd all been wearing them at Jacob's first barbeque and Billy's party. Something wasn't adding up.

As Quil walked, a muddy outline of his shoes was left on the cement. Bella frowned. The cement on the driveway was perfectly clean and dry. So where would he have been walking to have gotten mud on his shoes?

Bella allowed her eyes to drift to the forest. It made sense. He'd come walking towards her from that way. But what on earth would Quil have been doing in the woods half-naked?

She had so many unanswered questions, but she finally decided that standing on the Clearwaters' front porch and talking to herself in her head was not going to get them answered, so she hopped back down the steps and followed Quil into their backyard instead.

Bella's first order of business was looking for Sam, but one quick glance around the yard told her he wasn't there yet. In fact, she didn't see Jacob, Embry, Paul, Jared, Brady, or Collin. Bella frowned. This was going to be completely awkward for her if they didn't show up after all. And she'd told Charlie Jacob would be there to keep her company . . .

The Clearwaters' backyard was a lot like Jacob's. The grass was a vibrant, healthy green. They had a back porch made of a beautiful caramel-colored wood where guests were seated at a patio table with a matching umbrella. The grill leaned against the railing, easily accessible from the sliding glass doors that probably led to the kitchen. The yard itself was spacious and open, allowing room for plenty of guests for a barbeque such as this one without feeling to large that the family of four would feel too separated if they were having a nice family dinner outside. Bella hesitated at the gate, looking around for familiar faces. There were more people who were residence of La Push that she hadn't met before than she'd expected, and suddenly she felt less like an outsider and more like an alien. She felt like Snow White, having _literally_ just stepped out of the woods and into a yard owned by people she couldn't consider much more than acquaintances.

"Bella Swan!" The holler came from her right, where a group of adults sat around two picnic tables covered with colorful-patterned table cloths that Sue Clearwater probably made herself. Bella had heard she was very talented with a needle and thread.

Her eyes connected with Billy Black's, and she smiled. His needing a wheelchair placed him at the head of the table. "Hi, Billy," she called, taking a few timid steps into the yard. "Charlie said to tell you hello, and that he wants to go fishing this weekend."

Billy nodded. "I'll give him a call tomorrow."

Next to him, Harry Clearwater waved. "Welcome, Bella."

She felt her smile waver a little bit. "Hello, Harry. I know you probably weren't expecting me, and I didn't mean to just show up –" But what else could she have done? Called and asked for an invitation when Sam had been so free to offer one up?

Sue popped up on her other side. "Nonsense, Bella! You're as much a member of this group as anyone else here," she exclaimed. Her dark brown eyes practically sparked; Bella could tell she enjoyed being in the roll of the hostess.

Bella bit her lip. "I-I don't know about that," she mumbled. She certainly didn't _look_ like she belonged.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Sue hollered. Her ponytail bobbed up and down animatedly. "The pack is a very tight-knit group, but there's always room for another imp –"

"Susan," Harry called. His tone held a scolding note, a warning. She stopped short and looked at him. He shot her a look Bella couldn't read and Sue's eyes widened in what appeared to be recognition. "Perhaps we should start putting the chicken on the grill," he continued.

Sue nodded and gave Bella a smile. "Please, Bella, make yourself at home." Whatever she'd been about to say was clearly meant to be forgotten.

Bella held the pies out to her. "I made these myself," she explained, looking down at them anxiously. "One is apple and one is cherry."

"Oh, that's lovely! Thank you." She turned to walk away, and Bella was left standing there alone once again.

Bella glanced at Billy, but the men were already in a deep conversation about hunting. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly, twisting her fingers impatiently in front of her. Her purse strap fell from her shoulder and she quickly adjusted it, glad to have something to entertain herself with for two seconds. She couldn't handle standing awkwardly, uselessly in the middle of their lawn.

"You look lost." Leah Clearwater stepped up beside Bella with her hands shoved in the back pockets of her jean shorts. She grinned. "Don't worry – he'll be here soon."

"He?" _Oh, no._ Had she heard that Bella and Sam were flirting around the outskirts of the relationship label? As if Bella needed another reason for this evening to be uncomfortable.

"Jacob," Leah clarified. Part of Bella was happy to avoid a confrontation from a girl Sam had previously dated, but she was surprised at the disappointment that came along after it. With a jolt, she realized she _wanted_ Leah to know about Sam's dinner visit and the passionate kissing that had accompanied it. She wanted Leah to know exactly who Sam was interested in. Leah continued, "The boys had to – uh." She hesitated, eyes tilting up towards the sky for a moment. "They had to go out and – yeah. Um, they'll be back soon." She stopped.

Bella shook off the confusion and nodded. "Okay."

After ten minutes of uncomfortable smiling and chitchat with random strangers who probably only felt the need to stop and talk because Bella was standing off to the side on her own, a round of hooting and hollering echoed off of the trees and the normal group of rowdy teens and early-twenty-somethings ran in. They immediately bypassed all of the other guests, who were watching them, amused, and ran directly for the empty table that Bella assumed would be eventually filled with food. When they realized the chicken was just then being placed onto the grill and it would be a while until they would be eating, they all slumped their shoulders and grumbled in complaint. They moseyed over to Billy and Harry. Jacob glanced over at Bella and grinned, waving, but he didn't make a move to come speak to her like she'd hoped he would.

And then she found out why. She felt his presence before she heard his voice. "Bella," Sam murmured. She cocked her head to the right and there he stood with all of the beauty and grace of a lion. "You made it."

"Of course," she responded. "I promised I would, right?"

He stepped closer, his eyes on her mouth, and Bella backed up when she realized his intent. If their kisses looked as passionate as they felt, she did _not_ want to be caught under Leah's steel gaze after she'd witnessed one. Sam stopped short and stared at her, alarmed and maybe a little hurt. "Not here," she whispered to appease him. "It's – I mean, we're not . . . this isn't the right place to –" Bella bit her lip as she struggled to put her emotions into words. Then she finally decided to be honest with herself and Sam. "I don't want any PDA until I know exactly what we are," she explained. "You know – what this even _is_ between us."

Sam nodded. "I understand. You want a commitment."

He didn't say it as if it were an inconvenience to him. Actually, it was exactly the opposite – a welcomed element that he'd been expecting, maybe even wanting himself. Bella bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "Yeah, that would be nice. Helpful. Explanatory."

Sam smirked. He glanced over to where Jacob and the others were sitting at the picnic table with Billy, Harry, and Quil's grandfather. Harry met his gaze and a wordless communication seemed to flow between them. Sam raised his chin and nodded. Then he gave his attention back to Bella. His eyes softened as he looked down at her, and the grim line that his lips had formed lifted into a nervous smile. "I wasn't entirely honest with you on Tuesday. About what tonight is." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But I promise you – tonight you get your answers."

Bella's heart skipped. She hadn't expected him to say that. "What –"

"You've heard about the Quileute tribe's legends," he clarified. "Right? You just haven't heard the legends themselves."

"Yes," she muttered hesitantly, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Tonight you will," he murmured. "I know you have many questions. You'll get answers tonight." He glanced over at Harry again, appearing to be irritated with the expectant, impatient stare the old man was pinning him with. "I want to explain everything to you, and then we can discuss that commitment."

Bella bit her lip. He was being very vague, but hopefully everything would be clarified by the time she went home this evening. Perhaps he would put these gangster rumors to rest and she could return home with a solid argument in his defense when dealing with Charlie. "Okay," she whispered. Oh, she wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close and into the safe warmth that radiated off of him, but she knew better than to make a display like that. She didn't want Jacob to find out about them that way; how disrespectful to him that would be. Deep down in her heart she knew Jacob had once hoped _he_ would become her boyfriend. Bella had been the object of his affection for quite a while, and she couldn't break his heart so publically like that. She knew she needed to sit Jacob down and tell him of her feelings for Sam, even though she would never be able to completely explain how quickly and intensely they'd developed. One day they weren't there, and the next they were all she could think about. Would he understand? Would he be angry that she's developed such a fast crush on his friend? She didn't want to lose Jacob's friendship, but she needed to see things out with Sam, too. Her feelings went beyond physical attraction – though physically she was _certainly_ attracted. She desired Sam in other ways, though, too. Emotionally, mentally. She desired him in _every_ way. She just hoped Jacob could, eventually, try to understand that Bella had never wanted to date anyone. She'd never met anyone that she felt a connection with, let alone such an intense attraction like this one. She _needed_ to see where this would go. She owed it to herself. And if Jacob couldn't understand that . . .

Bella frowned. If Jacob couldn't put his own feelings aside for the sake of Bella's long-absent happiness, then perhaps he wasn't as good of a friend as she'd thought he was.

Leah's voice startled Bella out of her thoughts. "Kim!" she called from the porch. Bella whipped her head around to see the redhead skipping through the gate, arms full with a hoodie and three giant bags of potato chips. Her flip flops clapped loudly against her feet. Sue immediately went to greet her in a similar way she'd greeted Bella, taking the chips from her and welcoming her to the party. Jared jumped up and ran to meet her as well and when Kim's eyes landed on him, the biggest smile broke out on her face. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Immediately Bella wished she could embrace Sam that way, and hoped she would be able to soon.

Bella felt like she could finally relax, finally having another girl there who she could actually talk to. Kim glanced over at Bella and her face lit up in a bright smile, her hand lifting to wave enthusiastically. Jared kept one arm wrapped around her waist, so she leaned to the side and said something to Sue, who nodded. Jared bent to whisper in her ear, and she laughed. Bella was perhaps a little bit jealous, for Kim seemed to be so carefree and relaxed . . . and Bella was definitely not.

"Kim will hear the legends tonight as well," Sam said in her ear. Bella turned her head and found his face a lot closer than she'd anticipated. Her lips brushed his jaw, and she jumped back. "And Seth," he continued as if nothing had happened. "He'll hear them for the first time, too."

Bella frowned, confused. "Aren't you told them during your early childhood?"

Sam shook his head. Harry cleared his throat loudly, rudely, and Sam shot him a glare. With that look, Harry sat back and looked away, murmuring something to Billy, who shrugged his shoulders and gave a relaxed reply. Sam cracked his knuckles, watching them carefully for a moment, before relaxing himself and turning back to Bella. "The legends don't belong to the entire Reservation," he explained, "only certain members of the tribe. Certain families know them and pass them down the generations and they are not to be shared. Billy will explain it all more clearly later, once the bonfire is lit." Sam looked down at her pensively, but there was something in his eyes that Bella was not familiar with . . . longing? Adoration? Or was she just thinking too highly of herself and imagining things? His hands twitched at his sides as if he wanted to touch her.

"But why would you share them with me?" Bella wondered aloud. "I'm not even a member of the Reservation, let alone a special family _in_ the Reservation."

"You're special." He shrugged, but something about his tone made his body language seem less meaningful. Bella thought he was being more serious than he was letting on.

Bella, of course, had one more question. She was hesitant to ask, fearful that he would grow irritated with her constant quizzing. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was too curious, too hungry for information. She didn't know if there was an imaginary boundary around his mind, and if there was, she definitely didn't want to cross it. But scrutinizing his face, she could tell she had his complete attention. He watched her unwearyingly, waiting, wanting to quench her curiosity however he could, so she asked in a hushed, private voice, "Are there a lot of _special_ families? Ones that know the legends?" She glanced around the yard at the large group of people in attendance – both adults and children alike – and estimated that the Clearwaters were welcoming at least forty guests into their yard.

"No," Sam responded, completely patient. "Most of the guests here are only here for the barbeque and know nothing of the bonfire. They'll leave shortly after dark, and then we'll clear the tables and chairs away and set up the fire." His eyes drifted to Harry, whose hands were tapping impatiently against the table. The rest of the table of boys was laughing, and Embry seemed to be telling a story. Harry was scowling at the ground, wisely not at Sam. "The only ones that will hear the legends are Harry and Sue, Leah and Seth, Jacob and the rest of the boys, Billy and Old Quil, me, and you and Kim."

The rest of the boys meant Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, Brady, and Collin, Bella assumed. "Do you need to speak to them?" she finally asked as he looked over to them yet again. He didn't need to feel as though he couldn't leave her side. Perhaps she would go find Kim and chat for a while.

He looked down at her. "Yes. I'll just be a minute. We'll be ready to eat soon."

Bella glanced over at the porch and noticed Sue had begun to carry out food and place it on the empty tables next to the grill. "Oh," Bella breathed. "I should go see if she needs help." She turned to walk away, but warm fingers slid around her wrist and halted her. Sam stepped closer and leaned down to press his lips gently, adoringly to her temple.

"Give me ten minutes," he whispered in her ear, "and then I'm all yours."

Bella stared into his eyes, just two inches away from her own, and couldn't find her voice, so she just nodded. She could feel a hundred eyes watching them and heard the hushed, curious whispers that instantly began to flow as they showed affection towards one another. A deep pink blush crept up her neck and flooded her cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jacob. His conversation with Quil had stopped, and now their attention locked on Bella and their friend. She wanted to pull away. But pulling back felt so _wrong_ . . . it actually might have been painful. So she reached up on tiptoe and pecked him on the cheek, chastely, innocently. Only then did she feel okay about walking away from him. As she moved, Sam's fingers loosened and slid from her wrist. The loss of his hand sent a shiver up Bella's spine and she instantly missed his touch.

Bella quickly set herself to work helping Sue, Leah, and Kim carry plates of food outside from their kitchen. The boys with the addition of Billy and Harry had all claimed a picnic table in the corner of the yard. The tall fence cast a shadow over them, darkening their presence, creating a melancholy tone for the eyes that watched them. They had the attention of some of the other party guests, but they were far enough away from all of them that no one but those sitting at the table would be able to hear the conversation. Not that it mattered because no one seemed to be concerned with their presence. Sam had claimed his normal place at the head of the table, facing towards her, arms crossed over his chest, posture tense and unyielding. The warmth that always touched Bella's very soul as he stared into her eyes was gone, replaced with a more dominant, raw emotion. He was in a position of authority now. Billy murmured something to him and Sam nodded stiffly. Then all eyes turned to Paul, who began to talk. Bella assumed he was telling a story.

She watched them intently, stumbling over her own foot as she found herself not paying enough attention to carrying out the food and more attention to what was going on twenty yards away. Sue paused as she passed and gave her the concerned once-over that only mothers did. Bella offered a reassuring smile which Sue returned.

Sam's voice suddenly rose above all others. "I _told you_ to _watch the south side_ more than usual!" he snarled. Bella's attention flew back to him in time to see him slam his fist loudly, violently on the table as he glared down at Paul. His lips pulled back over his teeth in a sneer. He opened his mouth to continue but must have realized he'd attracted attention to himself and he straightened, shaking his head angrily. His arms crossed over his chest once again.

Sue clapped her hands. "Everyone come get a plate! There's plenty of food, so everyone eat up!" Bella wasn't sure but she thought this was Sue's way of diverting the attention from the back corner.

People heaved themselves up from their chairs and stepped away from the fence and began to mosey over the table. A few women smiled and complimented Sue on the meal as they passed and then introduced themselves to Bella, but many just ignored her. It sure made Bella feel welcome. _Oh well,_ she thought as another middle-aged woman waltzed by on her way to the pasta salad, _that's one less name I'll have to be embarrassed about forgetting._

Bella sashayed over to the end of the line, hesitating to make her own plate. Twice Sue came over and urged Bella towards the burgers and both times Bella assured her she would eat soon. She didn't know where she would sit after she'd finished so she would rather wait for Jacob or Sam so she would know her place. If she even _had_ a place there, which she was starting to believe she didn't. She sighed, backing up a few more paces as more guests stepped up to the meal. She bit her lip and looked over to Sam and his friends again.

This time their eyes met and she sucked in a startled breath. Jared was addressing the table now, but Sam didn't appear to be listening. His eyes were locked on Bella. When Jared stopped talking, Sam finally looked away and nodded at him. Then he looked to Brady and Embry and leaned deliberately over Paul to speak to them.

Bella _really_ wished she could read lips.

He straightened when they nodded, and all at once the table separated – and practically ran to the food. Bella smiled. Clearly having to wait an extra ten minutes for food had killed them. However, Embry and Brady went in a completely opposite direction. They walked right out of the yard and out to the woods. Jacob grinned and walked up to Bella, distracting her by enveloping her in a huge hug. She welcomed it and blushed when she met Sam's gaze over his shoulder. His eyes darkened and he glared a hole in the back of Jacob's head, but when Bella widened her eyes at him, he softened and his shoulders relaxed. He stepped away from the table and began to walk towards them. _Thank God_ , Bella thought. _I'm starving._

"Hey, Bells," Jacob said in her ear. He pulled back to look at her face, still grinning.

She smiled back again. "Hey, Jake. Charlie missed you and Billy on Sunday. He said watching baseball isn't as fun without you guys." She rolled her eyes. " _Apparently_ I'm not good enough when it comes to watching sports."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "How many outs does a team need to end an inning?" he quizzed.

Bella laughed. "Three," she fired back.

"And who won the game on Sunday?" he added. "What was the final score?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Uh –"

"A-ha!" Jacob hollered. "I can see why Charlie was complaining."

Bella shook her head, pretending to be upset. She tried to glance around Jacob to see if Sam was coming over to them but didn't want to be too obvious. Thankfully, Jacob shifted his weight and started towards the food. Bella glanced to where Sam had been standing before –

And her heart dropped into her stomach.

His attention was focused on Leah, who was standing next to him with her hand on his arm. She was staring up into his eyes, smiling at him. Her fingers picked at his T-shirt.

Bella felt her entire body go weak.

"Bella," Jacob called. "Are you eating?" Then he followed her gaze and the grin fell from his face. "Oh, Bells," he began, "wait a minute. It's not –"

Bella recovered. "Of course I'm eating," she said, trying to sound carefree and breezy. "I'm hungry. I waited for you on purpose, genius." There! A wonderful excuse, a perfect cover-up.

Jacob watched her carefully for a minute, then either decided to believe her or not to start the fight to get her to admit she was lying. He handed her a Styrofoam plate and nodded his head towards the food. "C'mon, make a plate. I'm starving."

Bella followed him dutifully down the line of food, forcing herself not to glance back at Sam each time she had to pause and wait for Jacob to finish stacking his plate a mile high. She tried hard to ignore the pain shooting through her chest and the nausea twisting in her stomach and hoped she was succeeding at keeping her agony off of her expression. She should have known she didn't truly have his affections. She'd developed a fast crush on him and he didn't reciprocate. He had a history with Leah – of course he would want to see things through with her, even if it was just one date. But it still hurt – more than she'd liked to admit. She knew she was overreacting. Sam had only kissed her once, and they'd made no commitment. Perhaps he'd changed his mind about making one at all. Bella struggled to keep the tears at bay as rejection stabbed her heart.

"Bella," Jacob murmured in her ear, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," she exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm to be believable. "I'm great. I'm hungry. Where are we sitting?"

Jacob led her to the table they'd all dispersed from. Bella sighed and sat down dutifully next to him, gingerly setting her plate down. Jacob playfully nudged her ribs and Bella giggled. She'd forgotten just how much fun hanging out with Jacob could be. Lately she'd only seen him with his large group of whatever they were, which certainly put a lot of space between the two of them. He'd been keeping his distance – probably because he knew Bella wasn't interested in any romantic relationship with him and he wanted to give her some space.

Quil sat down in front of her and quickly, easily joined in on the conversation, editing Jacob's stories as he told them wrong or perhaps embellished them a little for dramatic effect. Jared sat down next to Quil, and Paul next to Jared. Collin and Seth were seated a few feet away, balancing their plates on their laps as they were sitting in lawn chairs. Everyone seemed to be keeping the seat on Bella's right side completely open and available.

Bella stabbed a potato slice with her fork and plopped it in her mouth, trying to ignore the hurt and have fun with her best friend while she had him alone. Jake told her a few of his hilarious stories and kept her laughing just like always, but pain still nagged at her like an injury that hadn't properly healed and refused to be forgotten. Bella did _not_ allow herself to turn around to search for Sam. She would not be clingy. She would not be bitter. She would move on and forget about it.

Eventually the pain had to go away.

Or not.

And then, just as Bella had put her thoughts away for a while, a throat cleared behind them. Jacob's shoulders tensed and he froze. His head slowly cranked to the side and he looked up with an almost bashful, humble expression. His eyes widened in . . . submission?

Bella didn't have to turn around to know Sam was standing right behind her. She could _feel_ him, feel the deep connection between she and him. Knowing he was within touching distance eased the pain in her chest but it did not leave completely. She kept her gaze on her food, her head down in an attempt to hide the embarrassed blush that intruded on her cheeks.

Jacob stood and Bella's head shot up so she could look at him in panic. He rubbed his hands together nervously. "You need a drink, Bells?" he asked quickly, already stepping over the bench. "Soda?"

"A bottle of water would be nice," she said quietly.

Jake nodded. "Coming right up."

As soon as he was gone, Sam rumbled, "Is this seat taken?"

Bella bit her lip. "No," she finally admitted.

He set his plate down and carefully sat down, being careful not to bump the table top with his knee. When he was settled, Bella saw him look down at her out her peripheral vision. She took a bite of her burger and wished she'd opted for the chicken Harry had mentioned earlier.

"I'm sorry I took so long," he said quietly, seeming to know something wasn't quite right. "Paul had a lot to say."

"Yeah, I saw," she responded. That wasn't the only thing she saw. Then she decided to be bold and added, "Do you need Jake and me to move down a little so Leah has room?"

Sam sat back, startled. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion, and then his face lifted in realization. "Leah and I are not together," he told her. "We never were. And we never will be. I was never interested in her that way. I thought I was, but then I realized I only thought that because everyone was assuming we should be together. But recently –" He glanced over at Harry and scowled at him – "I proved them wrong." He lifted his beer to his lips and tipped his head back.

"But Leah wants to be with you," Bella stated. She broke a potato chip in half and ate it.

Sam sighed. "I suppose. But I don't want to be with her."

"Why not?" Leah and Sam being together made much more sense than Bella and Sam together.

Sam sat his beer down quickly. "You know why." When Bella simply shook her head, he added, "Because I want to be with you."

Instantly, the pain was gone. Bella fought the smile that tugged impatiently at her lips but there was nothing she could do about the automatic blush that flooded her face.

* * *

The flames of the fire lit up Billy's face as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

As promised, the large crowd of guests had quickly cleared out after dessert, leaving only fifteen people behind. One by one, Billy locked eyes with every person sitting on the logs around the bonfire. Starting on his right side, he looked at Harry, then Sue, followed by Leah and Seth.

Collin, Brady, Jacob, and Bella.

Sam sat in the middle, across from Billy. When Billy looked at him, he lifted his chin with authority.

Jared, Kim, Paul, Quil, and Old Quil.

That was it. Only fourteen people would hear Billy tell the legends.

Billy licked his lips and stared deeply into the flames as they flickered and crackled. When he spoke, his voice was stronger than normal. He was fierce, powerful as he called out, "Our legends are sacred. They are not to be repeated to anyone at any time. Failure to keep our secrets will result in a punishment decided by the Council." He met Seth's gaze and held it for a few moments. Then he moved to Bella, and finally to Kim. "Respect our privacy and our tradition. We welcome you into our family."

And then the tales began.

* * *

 **As I mentioned above, this chapter was much longer than the others have been. I didn't want to split this scene up because I think this was extremely important for the development of this plot and I wanted it to be one whole experience instead of split up and read five days apart from each other.**

 **AHEM. Perhaps . . . because I was very kind and gave you a very, VERY long chapter, my lovely readers will return that kindness and leave me nice, detailed reviews?**

 **Thank you all for reading. Please, please leave me your thoughts. It brightens my day to get response from those who are reading my work.**

 **See you in Chapter Seven, where we will have an itty-bitty time jump.**


	7. Chapter Seven

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 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Seven**

Bella's heart pounded frantically in her chest as she pressed down harder on the gas pedal in her truck, wanting – _needing_ it to go faster. She bounced violently in her seat as her tires hit pot hole after pot hole and every possible dip in the worn-down, neglected back roads between Fork and La Push. She was going at least twenty miles per hour over the speed limit and it the only light being shed for her came from the moon and her poorly-lit, barely functioning, dirty headlights and she knew she needed to slow down for her own safety because her seatbelt could only do so much to save her life, but the panic was seizing her chest and her mind was reeling.

She approached a stop sign quickly and slowed but did not entirely stop. Her father would have been furious if he knew of all the rules of the road she was breaking during this trip home. But she couldn't bring herself to care.

Every time she thought of the forest that surrounded her, her breathing quickened and her stomach squeezed together. The image of Jacob's body transforming right in front of her eyes into a giant beast – a _wolf_ – flashed through her mind and she felt a sob wreck her body.

To say that was unexpected was an understatement.

 _And Bella did not do unexpected._

When Bella pulled into her driveway, all of the lights in the small white house were off except the one that illuminated the tiny front porch. Of course Charlie would have stayed late at the station on the one night Bella truly needed him – needed his presence, needed him to make her feel safe. She was terrified and wanted her father's comfort.

Bella sniffled, trying to keep herself together – at least until she got into the house. She was on the edge of a panic attack, and she needed to get herself to safety. She glanced around her, not really knowing exactly what she was looking for. A wolf? A human?

Would any of them have had the guts to follow her after she'd fled so quickly from the scene? Jacob hadn't been _human_. . . and she was sure she would have noticed a large russet wolf trailing her truck. Perhaps they'd all gotten the picture as she panicked and stumbled back in fear, eyes widening at the large animal that landed on four legs in front of her. Perhaps they knew she didn't want to see them.

When she was sure no one had followed her, she threw her truck door open, grabbed her purse, and ran straight for the front door. She quickly unlocked it, threw herself inside, and locked it behind her, pushing the deadbolt into place as quickly as possible.

Bella gasped for breath, holding her head in her hands as her mind went off on an alarmed tangent. Panic squeezed her chest as she sat in the middle of her bedroom floor, hyperventilating. Her head was spinning, her thoughts jumbling up together as she tried desperately to make sense of everything.

Werewolves. Pack mind. Vampires.

What she'd thought was just a normal bonfire being shared between neighbors was far more than that. It was a revelation. A new beginning.

Suddenly, everything was clear. All of her questions were answered. At least she finally knew how they all seemed to appear out of nowhere from inside the forest. And she knew they weren't a gang, but instead they were a _pack_.

But she didn't feel any better.

She sat there for at least ten minutes, hugging her legs tightly to her chest, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. Her blurry vision slowly became clear and normal again. When she felt as though she could stand again, she slowly heaved herself up and went in search of some comfortable clothing. Mindlessly, she pulled a pair of mesh shorts out of her dresser and paired them with a hoodie she'd bought on her last vacation to Virginia Beach. She couldn't feel her body; the shock had turned her arms and legs numb. Once she was changed and comfortable, she went back to bed and picked up her phone, wanting to hear her mother's voice.

As she was dialing, the knock sounded at the door.

Immediately, the Bella's heart skipped a beat and then broke into a marathon speed. She sat on her bed, completely still, eyes widen and ears open, for two minutes. When the second knock echoed up the stairs and into her room, she bit her lip. The mattress creaked underneath her as she slowly stood and crept to the top of the stairs as silently as she could. Though, if it were a wolf, he would be able to hear her regardless.

 _If he were a wolf_. Bella shook her head at how ridiculous that sounded – but it was true. She'd seen it. She'd thought it was all a joke – a fairytale, a laughable misdemeanor of the tribe's ancestors. How wrong she'd been.

Her mind flashed to the very recent scene.

 _"You don't believe us?" Jacob watched her carefully in disbelief. "You seriously think this is a joke?"_

 _"Jake," Bella laughed. "Listen to yourself. Billy just told us a man and a woman who sucked all the blood out of a few tribe members smelled really bad, which in turn caused them to morph into giant wolves that can read each other's minds." She shook her head, giggling. "That's screwed up, even for you, Jake."_

 _Kim wasn't taking it any better. She pinned Jared with a sour look. "This isn't funny, Jay. You told me this was a big deal – hearing the legends. You said it was an honor, but you're all making a huge joke out of it!" She smacked him on the shoulder._

 _He leaned back, stunned. "We_ are _being serious!" he insisted, then looked over to Sam for back up._

 _But, naturally, Sam was staring at Bella. His arm was resting on the log behind her. He drew her into his warmth, trying to keep her from shivering as the wind blew a chilly gust over her face. He just watched her, scrutinizing her face._

 _She brushed her hair out of her face and looked to Seth. "C'mon, Seth. Tell them to be serious."_

 _Seth opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Harry's dark glare. He curled in on himself, his shoulders crunching together in a defensive gesture._

 _Sam cleared his throat. He drew his arm tighter around Bella, pressing his palm against the side of her leg. Bella shivered, but not because of the cold. He pulled her closer and tucked her shoulder under his arm. Bella snuggled closer, happy to be sharing his body heat. She tucked her hands between her knees to warm them, too. Sam pressed his lips to the top of her temple and looked at Jacob over her head. "If they don't believe the legends," he said, raising his eyebrows, "then we'll just have to prove it to them. Go ahead, Jacob. You have my permission."_

 _Jacob met his gaze for a moment and nodded. He stood and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his perfectly-toned chest. Quil whistled and cat-called – ever the comic relief._

 _He looked pointedly at Sam. "Do you want me to take my shorts off, too?"_

 _Bella gasped. "Jacob! No way! Keep your clothes on!"_

 _Sam growled above her. "Yes, Jacob, keep your pants on. I'm sure Seth has a pair you can borrow to wear home."_

 _Jacob nodded and stepped back, into the open area of the yard. Bella sat up straighter, glaring at him. "Seriously, give it up! Jokes over and it wasn't funny."_

 _Sam leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Just give him a minute. And stay right where you are."_

 _Bella fought it all the way, arguing that they were being cruel to make a joke out of this time that was supposed to be important and special, but she couldn't deny it when Jacob's muscles began to quiver and his body transformed into a huge wolf with russet fur right before her eyes, leaving his shorts and boxers torn to shreds around it._

Bella held onto the railing as she descended slowly, deliberately. She stopped when she could peer down at the front door. Jacob's worried, anxious face was visible through the tiny window. When he saw her looking at him, he held his chin up and knocked once again. "Bella," he called, his voice muted by the door. "Open up! C'mon we have to talk about this." His face was barely illuminated by the dim, yellowish-white porch light.

She shook her head in denial.

"Bella!" he demanded again. "Let me in!"

Angry, fearful tears formed in her eyes and she didn't move.

"Bella!" It wasn't Jake's voice this time. The holler had come from Sam and Bella's body immediately responded. She perked up, eyes flying around as if he would suddenly appear next to her. It wouldn't surprise her at the moment if they could walk through walls or teleport themselves. Jacob stepped out of view, and then Sam was gazing in at her. His eyes were soft and gentle, as they always were, and he reached up to press his palm against the glass. "Bella," he said again, "please talk to me. The legends left a few things out – a few things that I need to tell you." He rattled the doorknob. "Please," he begged. "I promise you're alright. We won't hurt you – Bella, we would _never_ hurt you. You are completely safe with us and you always will be."

Her feet moved without her brain actually giving them the instructions to do so. Before she knew it, her hand was reaching out and unlocking the deadbolt, twisting the doorknob, and opening the door that separated her from Sam.

He stared down at her, eyes wide and nervous, lips parted in a sigh. Jacob stood behind him, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She met his gaze and bit her lip anxiously. "Hey," she whispered. What else could she say? _Try not to explode into a giant werewolf on my front porch. If you break anything, I don't know how I'd explain it to Charlie. And please refrain from eating me._

"Hey." Sam's voice could have been the rumble of thunder in a distance if Bella hadn't watched his lips form the word. "Can we come in? And explain?"

"Explain?" she gasped. Her hands wrapped around her midsection protectively. "How are you going to explain that you all turn into giant wolves and run around the forest fighting people that suck other people's blood?"

Sam shook his head. "Vampires aren't people. Not anymore, not after they've been turned."

Bella hiccupped and turned to look into the forest that surrounded her house. _God_ , were there really vampires out there, lurking in the night, prowling for their next kill? How many times had she come close to death? Was _any_ of this legit? "I-I . . . I don't understand."

"I know," Sam insisted. "Let me explain further."

She hesitated for a moment, eyes lingering on Jacob, before she finally gave in and opened the door wider in invitation. "Just be quiet," she stressed. "Charlie's asleep upstairs, and if you wake him, we'll all have a situation on our hands."

Relief flickered over both of their faces and they shuffled inside the tiny house

 **INSERT PAGE BREAK**

Over the next two hours, Sam and Jacob worked together to provide Bella with a more stable piece-of-mind. They wouldn't hurt her. They didn't hurt people. They were protectors. It was genetic. Sam had phased first and therefore assumed the position of the Alpha male, but when Jacob turned twenty-one, he would take over as it was his birthright and his grandfather's legacy. They had to keep their existence a secret from the rest of the tribe – the rest of the _world_ – because people would react exactly as Bella had – panic, flail, run, fear. But most would never give them the chance to explain like Bella had, and the wolves would end up dead or in a lab somewhere being tested and tortured. This rational explanation, this laid-back description, was something Bella's mind could process and accept. Hesitantly accept, she would admit, but still, she could comprehend.

But as soon as Bella thought she could breathe again, Sam threw her another curve ball. "There's one more thing, Bella," he murmured. They were sitting on the couch, fairly close, Bella sandwiched between Sam and Jacob. Their body heat was surrounding her, but after the night she'd had, she welcomed the warmth. Sam ducked his head closer to Bella's in an intimate gesture and allowed his thigh to brush against hers while Jacob sat back, not touching her at all. His arm was draped along the back of the couch, just over her shoulders, but there was no physical contact.

"What is it?" Bella asked quietly.

Sam looked up at Jacob and a silent communication passed between them. Jacob nodded, eyes hard, lips pressed together to form a line, and pressed his palms against his thighs as he heaved himself up from the plush couch cushions. He rested his hand on Bella's shoulder in a friendly gesture, grinning gently down at her, before he turned and walked calmly out of the room, towards the door.

Bella sat up straighter. "Wait," she called, confused. She didn't want Jacob to feel like he had to leave – even if she _did_ want to be alone with Sam, to be wrapped in his arms . . . to finally feel safe after a night of fear and trembling . . . "Jacob! You don't have to go."

Jacob spun his head around to look at her but kept walking. "I'm not leaving," he promised her. "I'm just gonna chill on the porch for a few minutes, okay? I'm not going yet."

"Good," she breathed. "It's late. You shouldn't be driving. You two should spend the night here." It was almost two o'clock in the morning. Granted, they would need to be gone before seven thirty, when Charlie got up for work, but at least it would be daylight by then.

When he'd disappeared through the door, closing it gently behind him, Sam reached over to grasp Bella's hand. Bella felt her heart pick up speed and her eyes widened, though he wore a sincere expression on his face. He took a deep breath and looked down to their enjoined hands. His fingers folded over hers and he tightened his grip for moment before relaxing his wrist, almost as if he wanted to prevent her from pulling away but knew if she wanted to, he would have to let her. He kept his focus on rubbing his calloused thumb over her knuckles as he began, "There's another thing that I have to tell you about. It's a wolf thing."

"Okay," she urged when he took a long, pregnant pause.

He cleared his throat. "The legend says that each member of the pack serves his tribe in such an honorable, sacrificial way that they all deserve a reward," he continued. "But only those who truly accept their destiny – accept their _wolf_ , I guess – can find it. Or, I guess I should say, find _her_."

Bella's eyebrows pulled together, but she kept silent.

"We call it imprinting." He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "When we find the gift from our ancestors, I mean. It's an imprint. _She's_ an imprint." He shook his head and growled in a way that only reminded Bella how not-human he actually was. "I'm not explaining it right. Uh – the imprint is a girl. But she's not _just_ a girl – she's the wolf's soulmate. His perfect fit. His other half. He imprints on her the moment he looks into her eyes for the very first time – something inside him just clicks, and suddenly . . . she's just . . . everything." He still wouldn't meet Bella's gaze, which was getting a little frustrating because she wanted more than anything to look into his eyes right in that moment. "I mean – she doesn't have to be – uh, his mate, I mean."

Bella thought it was absolutely adorable how nervous he was, but couldn't form the words to say it as his own swirled around in her head and she attempted to process what he was saying.

He lifted a shoulder to his ear. "If she doesn't want him – you know, like _that_ . . . he can just be her friend. Or her guardian. Whatever she wants from him, he'll do that . . . _be_ that. He's just happy to be a part of her life, to have met her, to . . . love her."

Bella gasped at the world _love_.

"Anyway – I guess what I'm trying to say is," he sighed, "you're my imprint, Bella. I imprinted on you. You're my soulmate – if you want to be. But I'll love you forever, no matter what you want from me. You're all I'll ever need or want for the rest of my life."

Bella couldn't speak.

Sam took her silence as a bad sign. "Or I could leave you alone," he choked. "It would hurt, but if that's what you want, I'd find a way to cope."

She shook her head vigorously, desperately trying to find her voice, trying to tell him she wanted him _forever_ , but she still couldn't speak.

His eyebrows shot up. "You – you don't . . . want me?"

Bella shook her head harder. "No, I do!" she gasped. "I do!" Happiness and joy spread through her entire body like a wildfire.

His eyes widened in pleasurable shock but Bella didn't wait to see if he had anything else to say. She threw herself into his arms and tucked her face into the side of his neck. _This_ Sam – the gentle Sam who caressed her face and gazed lovingly at her and treated her as if she were a queen – was actually _hers_. He wanted her – and she wanted him, and they could be together and he would never leave her and she didn't have to worry about her heart getting broken because she'd basically gotten it right on the first try!

Bella gasped for breath as she felt his hands slide up to rest on the small of her back, pulling her closer to his chest. His lips pressed against her temple. For a moment, everything felt _perfect_.

And then a thought crept into her mind. She pulled back a little but kept herself in the circle of his arms. "Is this why Harry was acting weird yesterday?" she asked carefully.

Sam's eyes darkened, but when Bella lifted her hand to rest it against his jaw, they brightened again. "For a long time, Harry thought Leah and I would be a good pair. He wanted us to be together."

A pang of jealousy shot through Bella. She rubbed her hand on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt. "Well, you're not going to be, right?"

Sam shook his head. "No, we're not. Not now, not now that I've imprinted. And Harry isn't happy about that."

"That's why he doesn't like me," Bella whispered.

"He doesn't have anything against _you_ , Bella," Sam said. "The imprint would have happened whether I'd been in love with Leah or not. It's just better that I wasn't – there's no relationship to break off. I would have wanted you the moment I saw you. The imprint is more than a magical spell cast over the wolf. You and I would have ended up together, even if I wasn't a werewolf. I would have loved you without the imprint. It's the idea of destiny." He looked away quickly, as if he were trying to hide the anger that flared up inside him at the conversation. "That infuriates Harry. He thinks that his being a leading member of the council makes Leah and me a perfect match. He thinks I should have imprinted on Leah instead of you, and is angry that I didn't. It's very complicated." He kissed her forehead. "But I don't want you to worry about him, or about Leah. I am yours, Bella. I belong to you, and nothing is going to change that."

Happy tears sprung to Bella's eyes as his words stirred emotions in her she hadn't felt before. She answered by leaning up to press her lips against his. His hands lifted to tangle in her hair and, after a few pecks, he deepened it by slipping his tongue inside her mouth to knot with hers. Bella sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. He lifted her so he could lay her down on the couch and rested his body over hers, resting his hands on either side of her hips so he could hold his weight up and keep from crushing her. Every inch of their bodies was touching and Bella didn't have a moment to feel self-conscious. Bella's legs wrapped around his waist and she clung to him tightly. His touch made her feel beautiful, desirable. This was it – the connection she'd been searching for, the commitment she'd always wanted. It was perfect. They weren't urgent or violent – it was gentle and loving and sensual and sweet.

When he broke away from her mouth to trail open-mouthed kisses down her neck, she gasped for air and her mind cleared of the fog. She remembered Jacob, sitting alone outside in the dark, and instantly felt bad. She licked her swollen lips. "Sam," she gasped. "Jacob's out there. He's right outside."

"He's fine," he swore as he traveled lower and lower.

Just before he reached her breasts, Bella said, "Sam, stop," and instantly he froze. He lifted his head up to look at her face, eyes anxious.

"Did I hurt you?" he gulped.

"No, no," she assured him. "But Jacob's my best friend. It – it doesn't feel right to be doing this with him not forty feet away."

He watched her for a moment before straightening, pulling her up with him. He sat her down on his lap, her feet resting on the couch next to them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him closer. His hands slid around to rest on her bottom and Bella adjusted her hair in hopes that it wouldn't look _too_ messed up. "Jacob," he called when they were settled and had caught their breath, "you can come in now."

His voice didn't seem loud enough for Jacob to be able to hear, but in he came. Bella's heart practically stopped when she realized he'd probably been able to hear everything – even the panting, steamy make-out session.

But Jake plopped down on the couch next to them as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred, even though he probably knew exactly what words had been exchanged – and saliva. He rested his arms on the back of the couch. "Well, I'm not tired at all. Wanna watch a movie, since the mother hen here won't let us leave in the dark?" He leaned closer to Bella – but not _too_ close, as Sam's eyes watched his every move – and whispered conspiratorially, "Even though, I will tell you, we have night-vision."

Bella laughed quietly. "Sure. Pick one. But you have to leave before Charlie wakes up."

"Don't worry," Sam said from above her head. "We'll be able to hear him before he opens his eyes." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

Bella sighed. It would take a while to get used to the animal instincts and the inhuman behavior, but having Sam in her life, holding her in his arms the way he was right then, wouldn't be a problem at all.

But now she would have to explain to Charlie why Sam would be hanging around _a lot_.

* * *

 **Oh, wow. 79 reviews! I am absolutely ecstatic with the response I've gotten out of this story. If we could get up to 100 reviews before Chapter Eight, that would seriously make my week.**

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 **See you in Chapter Eight.**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

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 **Chapter Eight**

Bella awoke the next morning and blinked against a stream of sunshine. She groaned and reached her arms above her head in a stretch, wiggling her fingers against her pillow. Once she felt more awake, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and plopped her arms down onto the comforter that surrounded her. She leaned her head back against the pillow, prepared to take her good old time getting out of bed when she remembered –

 _Sam._

And Jacob.

But _Sam_!

She jolted upwards into a sitting position and scanned her surroundings. She was tucked neatly into her bed, wearing the pajamas her mother had purchased for her just before she moved back here – pink pajama shorts with little white flowers all over them and a white tank top. Bella bit her lip, glancing around. She didn't remember coming upstairs last night. The last thing she could recall was watching a comedy with Sam and Jacob on either side of her.

So how had she gotten upstairs and into her room, her bed? Her pajamas?

Bella reached her toes towards the ground and stood to shuffle over to the bedroom window that overlooked the front of the house. She peaked out, unsure about whether she wanted Charlie's cruiser to be out there or not. The driveway was empty, and Bella was prompted to glance at the clock on her nightstand. Eight thirty-seven in the morning.

So Charlie had left for work an hour ago.

Urged by a sudden surge of excitement, she threw on a nice pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt and ran a brush quickly threw her hair. Once she'd freshened up, she was out of her bedroom and hastily descending the stairs. When she reached about halfway, the scent of very-burnt bacon hit her and she crinkled her nose.

The sun made the kitchen just as bright as her bedroom. Jacob stood at the stove, one hand holding a spatula, the other shoved in his back pocket. He whistled a happy-go-lucky tune, oblivious to the fact that he'd killed his meat six times over. Gray smoke drifted off of the top of the frying pan. He actually wore a shirt to Bella's surprise, though it was tight enough to still show the outline of his abs. Bella suspected his sudden tendency to wear clothes had something to do with Sam.

 _Sam_. Her heart automatically flew into overdrive. She hadn't seen him yet; had he left already?

Jacob turned his head and grinned his big . . . _wolfish_ grin. "Hey, Bells," he greeted over the sizzling of the grease. "Hungry?"

Bella laughed. "You're as bad as Charlie. Maybe worse," she teased as she walked closer to peer into the bubbling pan. "At least Charlie knows his limits."

Jacob scoffed. "I have no limits," he bellowed. "I'm too awesome for limits." He lifted his arm to show off his giant biceps, standing tall like he'd just won the Olympic Games.

Bella elbowed him playfully in the gut. She nodded her head down at the pan. "You know, it was already dead when I bought it. You didn't have to kill it again."

His eyebrows pulled together. "What?"  
"It's burnt, Jake," she said slowly, over-pronouncing each syllable. "How don't you see that?" She reached up to tap her index finger on his temple. "Or does this wolf brain of yours take away your ability to think?"

Jacob snorted, but his eyes were happy. He was pleased she was being so great about this – the entire situation. She was joking about it, not freaking out. She was handling it perfectly, and he was so proud. "It's not burnt," he insisted. "It's crispy."

"If by that you mean burnt to a crisp, then yes, that's exactly what it is."

Jacob chuckled and turned off the burner. "Okay, Miss I'm The Best Chef Ever, then _you_ can make breakfast."

She snatched the spatula out of his hand. "I think I will, thank you very much."

Jake ambled over to the kitchen table in defeat and sat down, resting his elbows on the table. He watched with unembarrassed amusement as she scraped the charred bacon off of the frying pan and dumped it into the garbage can. She scraped roughly along the surface, frowning at the black chunks that wouldn't come off. "Jeez, Jake," she complained, "how did you not set off the smoke alarm?"

"I'm magic," he taunted. He cracked his knuckles loudly, propping his feet up on the chair next to him, perfectly at ease.

Bella turned back to the stove top and put a fresh set of bacon strips on a clean pan. Then she retrieved the eggs from the fridge and started on them. "So, did you sleep well last night?" she said conversationally.

He gave her an annoyed look. "I wouldn't call it sleeping. It was more of a nap. And don't think I didn't get it from Sam for keeping you from getting the necessary amount of sleep."

Bella stood straighter at the mention of her . . . wolf. "Where is he this morning, anyway? Did he decide we made too much of a commitment last night?" She'd meant for it to be teasing, but it came out sounding more serious.

Jacob shot her a look. "Please, Bella. Sam's not going anywhere."

As if on cue, the screen door squeaked as it opened and Sam appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. His eyes quickly swept the room, first landing on Jacob, then Bella, then the space between Jacob and Bella. He synchronized Jacob for a minute, but eventually must have decided he hadn't done anything inappropriate or unwanted to his imprint and his shoulders relaxed. When he met Bella's gaze, she felt her heart flutter in the way it only did when he was near. He smiled down at her and crossed the room, immediately bending to press his mouth against hers. Before she knew it, his hands were sliding up the back of her shirt and pressing her against his chest, his tongue ravishing her mouth. Bella reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and he bent to place his hands on her bottom and lift her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Her fingers twisted in his hair and she sighed when he broke away and pressed kisses to the corner of her mouth and down her jaw.

" _Ahem_ ," Jacob huffed.

Bella immediately pulled back. "Oh," she gasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She'd forgotten all about her best friend sitting two feet away. Only Sam had the power to do that to her – distract her by clearing her mind of all thoughts.

Sam growled and shot Jacob a glare. "Jacob," he snapped, "you know better than to interrupt your Alpha. You have disrespected me and my imprint." There was something in his tone, something deep that she'd never heard before – control, dominance, and power. He stepped menacingly towards him, scowling.

Suddenly worried for Jacob's safety, Bella squirmed her way in between the two. She placed her hands on Sam's chest and rubbed soothingly. "Sam, he has a point," Bella pleaded.

His head snapped towards Bella. His eyes, flashing yellow and primal, glanced over her face, taking in the pale flush of her cheeks and she worried dip in her brow, and his fists relaxed. Though his shoulders remained tense, Bella saw this as a win – and silently wondered what other superpowers being an imprint would give her.

Sam's nose crinkled. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Of course," Bella breathed. She wobbled over to the stove where, thankfully, her eggs hadn't begun to burn. Twisting the spatula expertly in her fingers, she scrambled them more and added salt and pepper. "I can't have overnight guests and not feed them in the morning."

Jacob pounded his fist on the table. "And this overnight guest is _hungry_."

"Patience," Sam scolded, still sour about the interruption. Bella wasn't exactly thrilled either – she could kiss Sam all day, every day – but Jacob shouldn't have to watch them attack each other in the middle of the kitchen.

Sam took a seat across from Jacob and cracked his knuckles. "Jared was running patrols last night," he began seriously. "He was up by the river on the north side and he caught that scent again – the same scent from the night before."

Jacob sighed. "So wherever this leech is, it's not leaving anytime soon."

Bella started a pot of coffee.

"Pretty much," Sam sighed. Bella turned to see him wiping his hands over his face dejectedly. "We're going to have to deal with it. I'm hoping to get everyone together tonight and go hunting."

Bella spun to peer at them, curious. "Hunting?" she questioned. The plates clanged against the table as she sat them down, and Jacob's fork flipped over the side and clattered to the floor. Bella jumped back so it wouldn't land on her foot. Jacob leaned over to look at it, frowning, but made no move to pick it up. Bella rolled her eyes teasingly and retrieved another for him. "Be careful," she mothered, "they're hot." Her warning was in vain, as both men were already shoving huge forkfuls into their watering mouths without flinching or hesitating.

"Hunting leeches," Jacob explained poorly in-between bites.

Bella turned to Sam for more information. He swallowed audibly and said, "Vampires. One's been circling La Push for about two weeks now." He shoved another forkful of eggs into his mouth. "We think it's watching us, learning our patterns."

"So we've been switching it up a lot," Jacob muttered out of the side of his mouth, trying not to spit his breakfast back onto the tabletop. "Two of us are always on patrol at one time." His eyebrows shot up as if he'd just remembered something. "Crap. What time is it?" He frantically searched around for a clock.

Bella squinted at the tiny screen on the microwave. "Quarter after nine," she told him.

Jacob polished off the last of his eggs and jumped up. "I gotta go," he said. "I gotta relieve Jared. He's got some breakfast thing with Kim's parents." He chuckled. "Poor dude. Meeting the parents after a month?"

Sam shook his head at him, amused. "When you imprint, you'll understand." He stole a glance at Bella, gazing up at her under his eyelashes.

Bella's heart warmed under his stare. She bit her lip, fussing with the dish towel that was sitting on the counter. "You know, Jake, a month is actually an average amount of time to be dating when you meet the parents. Maybe even a little long, I'd venture."

He laughed. "Sam met Charlie on the first date, huh?"

"I wouldn't call that our first date," Sam's rough bass grumbled out. He was still finishing his breakfast.

The coffee pot let out a shrill ding and Bella jumped, having forgotten all about it. She scurried over to it and opened the cabinet with the coffee mugs. "Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" she asked Jacob over her shoulder.

"I better get going," Jacob responded. "I'm late already. But I'll definitely stop by tomorrow evening if you'll make that hot chocolate of yours? Will Charlie watch the game?"

"Is the sky blue?" Bella giggled. "Of course. He never misses a game, Jacob, you know that beter than anyone. Bring Billy with you – he'd love that."

Jacob nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Sure. I'll see you then. Bye, Sam."

Sam tipped his chin to him. "Keep me informed – anything out of the ordinary, let me know."

Jacob bobbed his head again. "You got it," he muttered. He tapped his fingers against the kitchen doorway, hesitating to leave. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then seemed to rethink it. He must have decided to say it anyway because he added, "Hey, I'm really happy for you two. You'll be great for each other – and you'll be happy, so that's good." He looked specifically to Bella. "I'm glad you'll be happy."

Bella smiled at him. "Thanks, Jake.

He disappeared around the bend, and the door closed quietly behind him a few seconds later.

Sam finished his eggs and sat back, watching her. Bella strolled over and stood next to him, resting her hands on his shoulder. "You'll stay for coffee, won't you?" She didn't want him to leave yet – she wasn't ready to say goodbye.

He looked up at her, wide-eyed. His expression was sincere and eager; Bella had no doubt he'd do anything she asked just to make her happy. "Of course I will."

"And you'll come for hot chocolate tomorrow?"

He grinned. "Is that an official invitation?"

Bella scoffed. "Of course!"

"The chief won't mind?"

Bella pondered that. Charlie wouldn't be the happiest man on earth when Sam arrived, but it would give her the perfect opportunity to tell him of their relationship – with Jacob and Billy there on her side, he would take the news much better. "Charlie will be just fine."

"Then I'll be here." He smirked at her, then all teasing fled the scene and his lips thinned in seriousness. "So, we're okay, right?"

Bella frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You . . . you're okay with, you know . . . everything?" He folded his hands on the table and stared down at them intently.

Bella caressed his shoulder. "It's going to take some time to really get used to everything, but I'm not going anywhere, Sam."

Relief washed over his face and he reached up to grasp her hand. "That's all I needed to hear."

"Hey, how did I get into my pajamas last night?" she asked out of the blue as she remembered how her morning had started. "I don't remember changing my clothes."

Sam lifted his shoulders bashfully to his ear. "I'm innocent, I swear."

* * *

After taking inventory in the refrigerator and the pantry, Bella came to the conclusion that a trip to the supermarket was necessary. She formed her list, carefully cut out her coupons, and was walking through the sliding automatic doors a few hours later. Deciding to leave the frozen food for last, she made her way to the deli and the vegetable section, et cetera.

Bella was deciding between brands of tomato sauce for the spaghetti she'd planned for dinner that evening when someone called out to her.

"Bella Swan!" The high-pitched, excited female voice rose above the general chatter that floated around the store. Bella turned to see the Carol, Mark's wife – one of the policemen at Charlie's station – waving at her from the other end of the isle. She wore a worn-in T-shirt and genuine "mom jeans" with short blonde hair that appeared to have been styled in a rush. She scurried over and wrapped Bella in a warm, motherly hug. "Hello, sweetie! How have you been? Oh, it's been _ages_ since I've seen you! You were little then, shorter, with plumper cheeks!"

Bella pulled away before Carol could pinch her apparently-not-as-plump cheeks, smiling warmly, trying not to look annoyed. She hadn't been expecting to run into anyone she knew. "I'm good," she told her. "And you? Did you get settled into your new home alright?"

"Oh, yes, yes," Carol chattered. "We had a few troubles with the movers not being gentle with our glassware, but what can you do, really?"

The chitchat lasted for a few more minutes until finally Carol decided she needed to get going so she could pick her little boy up from soccer practice. She enveloped Bella in a bear hug again before leaving, promising she'd be in touch to get she and Charlie over for dinner soon.

Having already spent more time at the grocery store than she'd wanted to, Bella bolted for the checkout line. Of course, when Bella just wanted to get home, each cashier had at least four people waiting in line, and Bella sighed. She leaned her hip against her shopping cart and glanced over its contents one more time, just to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything – because she sure wasn't going to be waiting in these lines again after checking out – and concluded that she had everything she needed.

"Now, I'm _sure_ I had those coupons with me," the woman at the cash register called out, annoyed, as she rummaged through her purse. "I know they're here somewhere. Just let me check . . ."

Bella bit her lip, impatient. She plucked a magazine from the stand next to her and started flipping through it, hoping for some sort of entertainment.

Five minutes of that nonsense went on before the manager _finally_ approached the woman and forced her to pay without her coupons due to her holding up the line. A few comedians clapped when she finally walked away with her bagged groceries in tow, but Bella just grinned in amusement.

The line, however, did not move much faster than it had before, and Bella shifted her weight back and forth many times without moving an inch. Behind her, a little girl continually and repeatedly if they would go to get ice cream after leaving, and he refused to give her an answer.

Eventually, when the woman in front of her started to load her groceries onto the belt, Bella looked up from her magazine and placed it back on the shelf.

And came face-to-face with Leah Clearwater.

Well, not face-to-face. Leah was chatting with a girl who looked to be about her age, not having noticed Bella, either. And it wasn't like seeing Leah there was so strange – the Grocery Hut was the only fully-stocked supermarket around that didn't require a drive all the way to Port Angeles. It's customers were a blend of people from the communities of both Forks _and_ La Push. Would seeing Leah be awkward? Did Leah know about Sam imprinting on Bella? Did Bella have an enemy she didn't even know about?

With a new urgency to get out of the store, Bella bounced on her toes and anxiously watched the lady in front of her as she decided which credit card to use. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it was Bella's turn, and she quickly placed her items on the belt to be scanned.

"Forty-seven dollars and fourteen cents," the cashier told her when she'd finished packing the groceries into their plastic bags. She was an older woman, gray-haired and short, obviously working this job simply because she had nothing else to do with her day. Oh, to have so much free time that a job actually became a hobby, not a necessity.

Bella handed over the cash and debated taking the time to count out the change. She hated carrying the coins around, but she hadn't anticipated seeing Leah there, and the last thing she wanted as an awkward encounter. Just thinking about it made her nervous, so she decided to just round up and accept the jingling coins.

The elderly woman's smile reminded Bella of her grandmother, whom she hadn't spoken to in a little over a week. She made a mental note to call her that evening – she had much to tell her about now: Sam and the new skirt she'd bought last week with the money she'd sent her for her "back to school shopping" (even though it had been a little early for that) . . . and _Sam_!

Bella held back a dazzling smile that threatened to break out on her face and accepted her change and the receipt, shoving it all into her wallet hastily and turning to her cart. "Thank you," she called over her shoulder, not paying any attention to where she was going.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A loud, angry voice complained. Bella's attention shot out in front of her, where – of course! – Leah Clearwater stood at the end of her cart, holding a gray plastic bag in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

Bella squinted against the light coming in from the giant floor-to-ceiling windows and gasped. "Oh, my gosh," she gushed, "are you okay?"

Leah closed her eyes as if she were trying to control her tempter. When she opened them, she gave Bella a small smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Hey, Bella. I didn't – uh, see that it was you."

Bella hoped her anguish didn't show on her face as she smiled back. "Hey," she responded lightly. "How are you?" She carefully steered her cart out of the way to make room for the man and his impatient daughter, parking it also out of the way of the customers leaving the store.

Leah shuffled her feet, looking as if she also hoped this conversation would be short. "I'm good – you know, considering the drama lately." Her ponytail bobbed as she turned her head quickly to check her surroundings.

Bella cocked her head to the side, confused. "I'm sorry?"

Leah glanced around hesitantly. "The . . . um, the visitor. You know, in La Push." When Bella just continued to stare blankly at her, she emphasized further, "The _visitor_."

Realization dawned – the _vampire_. "Oh, oh, right," Bella gasped, nodding vigorously. "I'm sorry – my mind just isn't . . . attuned to that stuff yet."

Leah nodded. "Yeah, it can take some getting used to. Those boys are a handful."

Bella laughed, and rubbed her hands together nervously as an awkward silence fell between them. A strand of Leah's beautiful dark brown hair fell in front of her face and she tucked it behind her ear, apparently too short to be a part of the ponytail.

Bella accessed Leah carefully. She didn't _seem_ to hate Bella. She didn't _seem_ to have some sort of hidden evil agenda against Bella for stealing the man of her affections. Maybe Harry was the only one who really wanted Leah and Sam together.

But Leah had been clearly flirting with him at yesterday's bonfire . . .

"So, uh – you ran off quickly yesterday," Leah stated. A smile tugged at her lips – she was amused by this. With a jolt, Bella realized the rest of the group had probably gotten a good laugh out of her after she'd taken off like a jet, quaking in her shoes. But she couldn't be ashamed of her response; she'd done what her instincts had told her to do. However, she _was_ embarrassed that they'd all most likely made a joke out of her and she probably would never live it down. Oh no – Harry would now have one more reason to think Leah was better suited for Sam than Bella. She wanted to smack herself in the face, but knew that wouldn't be wise – only another reason for Leah and the rest of the Reservation to make fun of her.

Bella cleared her throat and tried to respond with dignity. "Yes, well – when your best friend of fourteen years becomes something you'd not expected him to become" – she chose her words carefully, mindful of the oblivious and in-the-dark people around her – "it's a little shocking, and I went with my instincts." She took a deep breath. "But I'm good now. Sam and Jacob explained everything, and I'm good. Actually, I'm great." _So go tell that to your father. I'm not_ that _easy to scare off._

Leah grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. "That's good."

Bella's cell phone started to ring in her purse, and she fished it out, happy to have an interruption from this conversation. Leah offered another smile. "Well, I should probably get going," she murmured, jabbing her thumb towards the sliding doors behind her. She started backwards a few steps, still facing Bella, waiting for the final goodbye that would put them both out of their misery.

Bella nodded kindly at her, but felt her smile fade away when she glanced down at the name on the screen of her phone. Leah paused in her movement, maybe worried by the expression on Bella's face. "It's Paul," she told her. She didn't know why she felt the need to clue her in, but instinctually, Bella could tell that something wasn't right. Sam had told her the night before, as he was entering the entire pack's phone numbers into her cell phone, that it was just for emergencies, just for his piece of mind, to know that she could be reached. Paul Lahote would _not_ call Bella Swan if he did not have a good reason. And maybe, just maybe, having Leah there – Leah, who understood everything about this new world that Bella had only _just_ been introduced to – would be helpful.

Apparently cluing Leah was a good choice because she immediately retreated the few steps she'd taken towards the door and stared at Bella, concerned and waiting for her to answer the call.

Bella did so. "Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Bella," Paul rasped out frantically. "Where the hell are you?"

Bella frowned, but anxiety seized her stomach. "I'm at the Grocery Hut," she told him. Leah watched her hesitantly. "Why?"

"You need to get home right now," he demanded. His voice was wavering, as if he were running as he yelled into the phone. His breath blew loudly against the phone, making a fuzzy sound in her ear. "I'm coming to get you."

"What?" she asked. "Why? I'm fine, I have my truck."

Leah tilted her head to the side in a silent question. Her eyebrows pulled together and her fingers tensed around the grocery bag in her hand. It didn't help Bella's anxiety – she obviously thought something was very wrong as well.

"No!" Paul yelled. "Stay inside the store until I get there. I'm taking you home."

"Really, Paul, it's okay," Bella insisted, hoping he'd give in and tell her nothing was seriously wrong. She needed reassurance but the consistent raise in the panic of his voice was not giving her that at all. "I was actually just on my way out. I just stopped to talk to Leah for a few –"

"Leah?" he interrupted roughly. "Leah's there? Leah Clearwater?"

Bella glanced at her soft-of acquaintance. "Yeah."

"Put her on the phone," he demanded.

Yes, something was wrong. Very wrong. Bella didn't fight it anymore, handing the phone immediately to Leah, who took it and quickly pressed it to her ear. "Paul? What's going on?" She listened for a long moment. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock – maybe fear. "Oh, my God," she whispered.

Bella felt her eyes sting with tears but she fought them back. This anxiety wasn't something she knew how to deal with. Surprise calls, sudden problems. It was all unexpected.

 _And Bella did not do unexpected!_

"Okay," Leah said softly. "Yeah. Okay. We'll wait here. No, he went fishing with Ray this morning. Where is he? Paul," she scolded. "Where is my little brother? Just tell me he's safe! Okay." She handed the phone back to Bella, and the look in her eye was almost pity.

Bella pressed the cell to her ear again. "P-Paul?"

"Stay with Leah," he ordered. "Sam told me to get you to a safe place. I'm taking you and Leah back to her house on the Rez – you'll be safe there."

"Safe from what?" Bella whispered.

"You're going to be fine," he assured her not-to-gently. "I'm on my way right now, but I'd be quicker if I could phase. Are you good? Stay right where you are."

Bella nodded, then remembered he couldn't see her. "Yes, I'm good. We'll stay right here." She peeked outside, trying not to let her body quiver. The sun had disappeared and storm clouds were quickly forming. "Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"Is he okay?"

Paul knew exactly who she meant. "Don't you worry about Sam, Bella. He can take care of himself. Trust me, when it comes to you, he's a force to be reckoned with. Jacob, too."

That did little to sooth her fears. "What's happening?" she asked.

"Sam told me you know about our vampire guest?" Hearing the word _vampire_ while she was standing in a supermarket made her heart jump with fear, but then she remembered Paul was probably rushing through the forest right then, not standing next to her.

"Yes," she told him.

"Well, we ran into her a little sooner than we thought we would," he spat. "Stay put – I'll be there in five."

So Bella stood, huddled in the corner of the Grocery Hut with her groceries and Leah Clearwater, waiting for Paul the werewolf to come and take her back to a house that's owner wanted his daughter to date Bella's boyfriend, all to protect her from the bloodsucking vampire that was roaming Washington.

Bella's life, it seemed, had been turned completely upside-down.

* * *

 **Next chapter, Bella will continue to learn more about the pack - this time, through Leah.**

 **Once again, thank you for reading. I am amazed at the response I got from last chapter! I so appreciate all of the reviews! The feedback is my favorite part. Please continue to leave me reviews and tell me what you thought of this chapter.**

 **See you in Chapter Nine.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **C** **hapter Nine**

The gravel on the Clearwaters' driveway forced Paul to slow down the break-neck speed at which he'd been driving. The man had shortened a twenty-five-minute drive to only ten – and each minute was packed full of anxiety for Bella. Her fingers were aching from the tightness of her grip against the side of the seat as she stared anxiously at the road in front of them, shoulders tensing each time he took a sharp turn at a speed Bella wouldn't have even dared. Her body bounced back and forth almost violently when they reached the roads of La Push, which were extremely beat up and unrepaired, full of pot holes and cracks that needed to be dodged to avoid doing damage to the wheels.

It didn't help that the panic and tension rolled off Paul's body like radio waves that seeped right into Bella, tightening her stomach in concern. Perhaps if he weren't panicking as much as he was, Bella would have been calm – or, at the very least, not shaking like a leave.

Leah, sitting uncomfortably on the seat, spoke up when they were halfway down the driveway that lead to the hidden-by-trees house. Paul hadn't let her drive her own car, and at the time Bella didn't understand why she couldn't follow them. Now she understood – Leah wouldn't drive with the urgency Paul was. She cleared her throat and informed him, "The front door won't open right now, because of the rain and the spike in the temperature. It's wooden, so it swells up when the air is moist and we can't get it open." She was watching her fingers, twisting them nervously in her lap much like Bella was. She was afraid of triggering Paul's temper. "We have to use the sliding glass doors in the backyard," she concluded.

Paul huffed. "I'll pull around back, then."

Leah didn't respond, and Bella was too frightened by his anger and despair to comment.

The house popped up, it seemed, out of nowhere, and Paul drove around to the side nearest to the gate entrance. He slammed on the breaks and cut the engine, but neither Leah nor Bella moved a muscle, expecting his next sentence. "Let me make sure there's no leech scent in the air," he snarled, and then he was outside, slamming the truck's door behind him. Bella jumped, but Leah didn't appear to be startled. She was probably used to his temper.

Neither girl said anything to each other. They just sat there in silence, watching Paul tilt his head in a million different directions, taking in deep breaths. Bella's eyes wandered over the woods that surrounded the house, wondering what exactly was out there. Her stomach clenched. Somewhere out there, _her_ wolf was running, searching – fighting. Sam was in danger, and there was nothing she could do to help him. The thought made her sick. She leaned to peer up at the sky, curious about the progression of the storm clouds that had been forming overhead back at the Grocery Hut. They were darker now, more violent. Flickers of lightning flashed through them. They were about to get a mother of a storm, and Bella let out a worried sigh. She already didn't want the pack running around in the woods chasing after a vampire. A horrible thunderstorm would _not_ help the situation. The daylight was dim and fading quickly as the clouds grew thicker and darker, making it seem like the sun had already begun to set even though it shouldn't have started for another two hours.

Finally Paul stalked around to the passenger side and yanked Bella's door open. He shoved his hand at her. It took Bella a second to realize he was offering to help her down. Knowing that a trip to the emergency room after her jumping down and hurting her ankle would _not_ be helpful in that exact moment, she wisely took it and planted her feet softly on the ground. Leah followed gracefully behind her.

Once they were standing inside Leah's homey living room, Paul locked the sliding glass doors and placed a giant piece of plywood at the bottom so it couldn't be opened even if it _were_ unlocked.

"Like that would stop a vampire," Leah said quietly.

Paul spun and shot her an angry glare. "You two will stay in this house until we come back. Do you understand?"

Both girls nodded vigorously.

The storm clouds made it dark enough outside that standing inside the house made Bella feel as though it was nighttime. The blinds were all closed – probably because no one had been home. There must have been a small light on in the kitchen because it shone down the hallway and dimly lit Paul's face. His jaw was tense, his arms coiled and defensive.

Leah moved to turn on the three lamps that were spread out through the living room, lighting the room in a cozy way. Bella would have been soothed by the calmness her surroundings if Paul's anger hadn't been sending electrical shocks through the air. She stood in front of him timidly, waiting for him to say something – anything – to appease her, and slowly realizing that he wasn't going to.

What he did say was, "Jared's on his way with Kim, and Brady and Collin coming, too. Once they get here, Jared and I are gonna take off and join the others. Brady and Collin will stay here, outside and phased, in case the leech shows up here. I doubt it will, but there's always a chance."

He glanced down at Bella with fiery yellow eyes, but when he really looked at her – shoulders hunched forward, hands clasped together, eyes wide and frightened, face pale as snow – he let out a loud, aggravated sigh and slapped a hand over his face, rubbing roughly. "Jeez, I'm sorry, Bella," he ground out coarsely. "I know you're probably scared shi – uh, really scared, and you just found out about all of this like . . ." He flailed his arms around helplessly. ". . . _yesterday_ , and all . . . I just . . . it's hard for me to fight the instincts I have right now." The words were coming out in a rush, a needed explanation squished into about two minutes. "You're the Alpha's imprint, Bella – the Alpha's mate. It's my instinct, my _duty_ to protect you, to make sure no harm ever comes to you. It's the most powerful instinct I've ever felt. Jared says it's not as powerful as when you have our own imprint, but I don't have one yet, so I don't know."

Bella still couldn't find her voice, so she just bit her lip and listened.

He rambled on. "And Sam – _God_ , if you could listen to his thoughts right now, you'd know just how much he really loves you, Bella. I know that sounds crazy – I mean, you just met him like, almost a month ago, right? And now he's in love with you? You must be so confused, but he does, Bella. He really loves you. More than you know. His entire mind is consumed with thoughts of you. Right now, he's not out there searching for this leech for the good of the tribe, for the good of the Reservation. No – he's only thinking about you. 'How can I protect Bella? I need to make Bella safe. I need to protect Bella.' It's a constant loop in his head, which is good – it's a good motivation for him."

Bella bit her lip and thought, _If Leah didn't already know Bella was Sam's imprint before, she certainly does now._

"Why are they going after it now?" Leah broke her silence. "The vampire. My dad said you guys were gonna wait until it gave you a reason to attack."

"Sam thinks it's been studying us for weeks," he spat in response. "All of this flitting around our borders was its way of getting us to reveal ourselves so it could see how we function, individually and as a whole." Paul bit his lip and looked down at his feet. "He thinks it knows our weaknesses."

"Which are?" Leah demanded.

Paul hesitated, but ultimately knew Leah wasn't going to let it go until he answered, so he muttered, "You."

Bella gasped.

"You, Bella, Kim," Paul furthered. "Billy and Harry think it knows that you guys are important to the entire pack – Leah to her brother, Kim to Jared, and Bella to our fu – uh, freaking Alpha." He turned a little red, knowing Bella knew exactly what he'd been about to say. She was grateful he was controlling his language. "We think that – if this thing really does know how special you three are – it'll be coming after you."

"And how, exactly, does sitting in a house secluded in the woods where the vampire is suspected to be hanging around going to protect us?" Leah asked. She was sitting on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her. "I mean, _now_ we've made ourselves sitting ducks. It could come and kill us and not even have to deal with the general public of Forks. We're screwed, Paul!"

He was shaking his head before she finished talking. "Our scents are all over this property – inside it, surrounding it. No vampire would dare get close to it. It's going to want to avoid us at all costs, and it knows that coming here is _not_ the way to do that. Other than Sam's house, this is where we all meet most often."

Bella wondered for a brief moment exactly where Sam's house was, and when she would get to see it. Then she scolded herself for allowing her thoughts to drift for even a moment away from the situation at hand. "So . . . what now? We just wait? Wait for you to kill it?"

Paul nodded. "We'll get rid of it, and then we'll come back here and get you." He grinned, but it wasn't the genuine smile she'd seen him give before. "Be prepared – Sam's gonna wrap you in his arms and never let go."

Right then, that was what Bella wanted more than anything in the world.

Paul shuffled over to the window that looked out into the driveway and stared out, looking and listening for Jared or Brady or Collin or the vampire.

"Hey, wait a minute," Leah suddenly burst. "You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Why are you attacking it now?" she demanded. "What did it do to provoke you?"

Paul said nothing.

"Paul," Leah hollered. "Answer me. Something must have happened. It wasn't this serious of a threat yesterday. Hell, it wasn't _even_ a threat yesterday! What changed? What did it do?"

Bella shifted her weight uneasily between her feet, waiting for Paul to answer. This had been a big question on her mind as well.

"Drop it, Leah," he snapped at her.

"No!" she yelled back. "Tell me! What happened?"  
His fists clenched and he smacked the fall loudly, angrily. His eyes burned into Leah's as he glared balefully at her. "It killed someone!" he snarled at her. "It drained the blood entirely out of an innocent body."

Bella gasped and flew backwards in shock. Feeling behind her blindly, she found a chair and shakily sat down. An innocent person, dead because of this creature. How heartless, how cruel, how heartbreaking.

Leah was silent, but now Paul was furious and not about to let _that_ go. "Is that what you wanted to hear, Leah?" he snapped. "Is that what you wanted to know? You wanna know something else? It was a girl. A teenager from Forks. Brown hair, pale skin, bleeding from after she took a fall during a morning jog." Paul stalked closer to them, stomping. "Do you know why a vampire who hasn't attacked anyone in weeks would choose now to strike? Huh? Because she looked like _Bella_. This leech never got close enough to catch Bella's scent. It just saw her from afar, and it thought that innocent girl was Bella and it wanted to kill her so that our Alpha would be weak and unable to fight."

Bella's lungs felt like they'd been removed from her body. She heaved, but she hadn't eaten lunch that afternoon and had yet to eat dinner so there was nothing in her stomach to throw up.

"Is that enough information for you, Leah? Huh?" Paul growled.

Leah sat, staring silently and blankly at the coffee table.

"Don't tell Sam I told you that," he tossed in Bella's direction as he began pacing back and forth behind the couch. The living room was connected to the dining room, so he had to dodge the maple wood table in the process. "He'd flip if he knew; he didn't want you to know. Don't worry – we're going to keep you safe." The tone in his voice, however, did nothing to calm her down. He swallowed loudly and brushed his hair out off of his forehead. When he continued, his voice wasn't quite as rough. "We didn't have a choice anymore. We have to kill it before it actually found one of you and succeeded. We're not taking that risk."

All three of their heads snapped to the door when they heard tires rolling over the gravelly stones on the driveway. "It's Jared," Paul bit out. He stomped over to the front door and yanked it open without a problem, even though Leah had said not ten minutes before that it was impossible to open at that moment in time. If Bella wasn't paralyzed with terror, she would have laughed.

Moments later, Kim was ushered inside with Jared right behind her. She was holding a sweater close to her chest with one hand and clutching desperately at Jared's hand with the other. Jared didn't spare a glance at Leah or Bella. His eyes were locked entirely on Kim as he leaned down to press an urgent, passionate kiss to her lips. It was over as quickly as it had begun and he was pulling away, rubbing a thumb gently down her cheek. It reminded Bella of Sam, and her stomach heaved again as she wished hopelessly that he were sitting next to her.

"Brady and Collin are here," Paul said. "They're already phased. Let's go," he said to Jared, who gently freed his hand from Kim's and leaned to whisper something intimately in her ear before he started to back away. She watched him go until he was out the door and out of sight. Paul glanced at Leah and Bella. "We'll be back soon. Stay here. If _anything_ goes wrong," he stressed, "call for Brady and Collin. They can hear you."

Leah nodded. Of course, she'd have already known that. He'd said it for Bella and Kim.

Paul scanned the room one last time before disappearing out the front door after Jared, slamming the door shut behind him. Leah stood immediately and made sure he'd locked it before turning to face her house guests. "Are you guys hungry?" she asked.

Kim shook her head.

Bella _was_ hungry. She just wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep anything down. "I'm good for now," she whispered.

* * *

"So, your family obviously has the wolf gene," Bella said to Leah about an hour later. "I mean, with Seth and all. But you haven't phased. Is it, like, impossible for a girl to become a . . . werewolf?"

The three girls sat in a circle around the glass coffee table, each with a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies in the center. There was absolutely nothing interesting to watch on the television, so they'd decided that a little question-and-answer was in order. Bella couldn't stomach the idea of sitting in silence and waiting for the pack to return. The anticipation – not knowing whether or not Sam was okay – was making her entire body shake. She huddled herself under a blanket, trying to hide her fear from the others.

Leah shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, Seth phased at fifteen. I'm eighteen now. My dad thinks that if I was going to phase, I would have done it by now." She took a sip out of her mug. "I've never shown any symptoms, and in history, if a phased wolf had any siblings, the siblings phased as well, but they were all boys, so . . ." She licked her lips. "I guess my gender helped me dodge _that_ bullet."

"I think it would be terrifying," Kim whispered. She stared down at her hands, clasping her steaming mug tightly as if it were going to jump out of her grasp and run away. Maybe that's what Kim felt like doing herself, Bella realized. She certainly sympathized with her. "I asked Jared what the moment when he's actually turning into a wolf feels like, but he said it's indescribable. He said I'd have to experience it myself to really understand." Her eyes flickered with a passionate emotion. "I just needed to hear him say it wasn't painful. Oh, God, if he'd told me it hurts him when he phased, I don't know if I'd be able to handle it. I just can't stomach him being in pain, being hurt repeatedly, intensely, four and five times a day. But he said no, it doesn't hurt. Thank God." Her voice had risen a few pitches, quivering with the emotion it held. She sounded like she was holding back tears.

Bella, with a jolt, realized she had been feeling the exact same way, only she hadn't really had the guts to ask Sam about the phasing. But she'd worried, watching him turn into a wolf in her backyard when Jacob had gone out for a late-night-early-morning pizza, that it was painful for him. It certainly _looked_ painful. The idea of Sam being in any pain settled an anger deep within her, accompanied by a wave of nausea and sadness.

And then another insight hit her – this was normal. If Kim were feeling the exact same way, surely it couldn't be a coincidence.

It was an imprint thing.

Bella had to work hard to keep the smile from breaking out on her face. Something about that, about knowing she was doing something right in this entirely new world of magic and craziness, made her beyond happy. And now that she knew Sam didn't feel pain when he phased, she could breathe better as well.

Feeling renewed, Bella sat up straighter. "Do you and Jared have plans for after you graduate?"

Kim shrugged. "Not really. I applied to the University of Vermont, Colombia University in New York City, and the University of California," she sighed, "but I haven't heard back from any of them yet, obviously. I mean, I still have my entire senior year for that. But now I wish I hadn't gone for early decision. I could have saved myself from paying the application fees for colleges I'm not even going to consider attending."

Bella frowned, confused. "Why not? Those are great schools."

"Well, obviously my original plan was to leave Washington completely," she murmured, "but now that's down the drain." Her eyebrows creased together thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll look into something near Seattle. I could probably commute to that . . . if I stretched it."

Bella was still in the dark. "Wait – what made you change your mind?" she asked. "About not leaving for college, I mean."

There was a heavy pause in the conversation. "Well . . . Jared," Kim said, as if that explained everything.

"Does he not want to go away for college?"

Now it was Leah and Kim's turn to stare at Bella in confusion. Then their expressions lifted and Leah's nose wrinkled almost sympathetically. She leaned forward a little, eyes gentle. "Jared _can't_ go away for college, Bella," she said slowly by way of explanation. "He can't leave the Reservation. He has to stay in La Push for his entire life – at least until he stops phasing, which won't be for _years_. He'll be _way_ too old for college by then."

Bella tried to let this process, and then understanding dawned. "Oh my God," she gasped, her hand flying to her throat. "The pack. He has to stay with the pack. He can't leave."

Kim watched Bella wearily, like she was expecting her to burst into tears.

Bella wiggled her fingers, not quite knowing what to say or do next. She was absolutely humiliated that she hadn't made the connection on her own. Of _course_ Sam wouldn't ever be able to leave La Push. _Especially_ Sam – he was their Alpha, for Pete's Sake, and who knew when Jacob would be ready to take over? It could still be a few years, and even then, Sam would always be a member of the pack. He would need to stay and help them run patrols and otherwise keep the Reservation safe from threats.

Much like he was doing that very second.

And so the stupid fantasy that Bella had conjured up in her mind – an image of the two of them moving off to Arizona, Sam finding a nice job that would support them until she got her college degree and could get a well-paying job herself, the two of them sitting on the porch every night with tea in their cups to watch the sunset, a nice big yard for their children to play in, a spare bedroom for Charlie to use when he visited – it all disappeared. It wouldn't, _couldn't_ happen. And it wasn't Sam's fault. It wasn't _anyone's_ fault. That was just the way the dice had fallen.

Bella felt her heart sink lower and lower as she thought of all the ways their life together would be different than what she'd imagined. But that was what she got for creating an entire future for them before the first date.

But Sam was different – he wasn't just a normal, high school boyfriend. He was everything. She'd thought for _sure_ they'd have the perfect life, exactly as she'd dreamed. But that dream was outdated and hadn't accounted for her meeting a werewolf.

"Right," she breathed, blinking three times fast. "That makes sense." She tried to clear her thoughts of disappointment and think of the wonderful life she could have with Sam right there in La Push – but it wasn't the same. Now that those plans were impossible, Bella wanted them even more.

Oh no – did this mean Bella couldn't even go back to Arizona for her college years? Of course, she would move back to Forks after graduation, but . . . would she be able to leave Sam for that long, be away from him for five entire years?

But Arizona was her dream! She _loved_ that college, and she loved the campus. It was where she felt she belonged, the natural path her life would take after high school. She didn't want to give that up. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't be happy anywhere but Arizona. Sure, being with Sam would be fantastic and full of love and security – but something would be missing.

 _Don't let a guy change all your plans,_ she heard her own voice say. _That_ version of her – Bella 1.0 – had long been replaced by Bella 2.0, so overcome by the emotions swirling inside her that nothing else really mattered. But her old self, the rational, control freak Bella, was creeping back in now that the waters were settling. And she was going to cause problems.

"Bella?" Leah broke her from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Bella squeaked. "I'm good." Suddenly, she was attacked by an intense need to take care of the pack. Or perhaps it was more of a need to distract herself from her own thoughts. She stood up quickly. "Can I use your kitchen, Leah? I want to make a nice meal for the boys when they get back. They'll be hungry."

Leah nodded and stood as well. "That's a great idea. I'm getting hungry myself. I can't imagine how hungry _they'll_ be when they get back."

Kim joined them and the three women quickly got to work, planning a meal based on what was already in the Clearwaters' kitchen. Once everything was well on its way, Kim excused herself to use the restroom.

A question had been nagging at Bella for a while, and she finally got the nerve to ask it. Without turning to look at Leah, she said, "So I know that you and Sam have . . . a history. And I just need to make sure that you don't . . . hate me or something." She sucked in a deep breath and continued blurting. "Because I never meant to steal him from you, and I don't think he ever meant to hurt you, and –"

"Whoa, whoa," Leah interrupted, laughing a little. "Calm down there. I'm not mad, and I definitely don't hate you, Bella."

Bella's eyes shot over to where Leah was buttering bread for grilled cheese sandwiches. "You don't?"

Leah shook her head. "Sam and I went on one date, and trust me, there just . . ." She waved her hands around, searching for the right words. "There wasn't a connection. We're friends, and that's all I've ever really felt towards him."

"But that day in Jacob's kitchen," Bella whispered.

Leah bit her lip. "I was trying to force myself into having a crush on him," she said. "The date wasn't my idea. The date wasn't even _Sam's_ idea. My dad basically set it up, and Sam and I didn't really have a choice but to go on it." Leah looked away, lifting her shoulders as if she were uncomfortable. "My dad really wants me to be with Sam. The Alpha's mate basically controls the entire pack. She's got the Alpha wrapped around her finger, and the Alpha calls all the shots. If the Alpha does whatever his mate says, then his mate has all the power, and that's all my dad _ever_ really wants – power. He says he thinks we're perfect together, but obviously that's not true." Her eyes widened, and she seemed to realize she'd given a lot away. She gave Bella a little smile. " _You_ are perfect for him. You belong with him. He imprinted on you. And you make him happy, Bella, and I'm so happy for that. He's a great friend, but that's all we'll ever be. I promise you, okay?"

Bella nodded, relieved but also very curious about what her duties as the Alpha's mate would bring. It seemed her questions weren't over yet, but that seemed like something she needed to speak with Sam about.

"Maybe now my dad will start backing off," she said quietly, almost to herself.

Bella didn't know why, but something deep in the pit of Bella's stomach said that Harry Clearwater would not be backing off anytime soon.

Kim strode back into the room, looking refreshed and in a much better mood. "Okay," she sang. "Let's get this meal going. Wishful thinking – they'll be back soon."

Bella stood by the window and continued to put together a nice salad. She peeked out into the darkness of the night, straining to try to see Brady or Collin standing outside, but it was too dark and the only thing she could make out were the shapes of the surrounding trees. But she knew they were out there. Every so often, a howl would rise out of the darkness and shoot up into the sky. To an outsider, it would sound like a cry of pain. But Bella knew better – it was a warning, a warning to anyone and anything out in the woods that was even considering making an appearance. She knew with complete certainty that any unwelcome visitor would be forcibly removed.

Perhaps Bella would fit in with the pack better than she'd thought.

* * *

 **And the conflicts begin to rise . . .**

 **Once again, thank you all for reading and for the lovely reviews you left me last chapter. Please continue to give me feedback - comments, questions, predictions. AHEM - you're welcome for the super-long chapter.**

 **See you in Chapter Ten.**

 **CHAPTER TEN! I can't believe it. This story is going to be longer than I thought.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to finish. For some reason, I had trouble getting through it. I just didn't feel a connection to the story line like I usually do. I struggled to get the beginning of this chapter. The ending was much easier to write - probably because I cannot wait to get back to Sam and Bella. Anyways, here it is.**

 **Chapter Ten**

The three girls turned an entire loaf of bread plus another half that hadn't been used yet into grilled cheese sandwiches. Bella hadn't even understood where all the lettuce for the salad had come from, but Leah had continued to pop up with more and more to add.

When the table was set up to display the meal they'd just created, Bella looked around the kitchen in dismay. "Your mother is going to have a heart attack," she exclaimed. "We used, like, _everything_ in your kitchen."

Leah shrugged. "No, she'll be okay. Trust me, she's used to making three back-to-back trips to the grocery store. The impromptu feeding of the pack isn't uncommon around here."

Bella shook her head, chuckling. "They really eat all of this food every day for dinner?"

Leah snorted. "They eat all of this food every day for _breakfast, lunch_ , and dinner."

Kim sighed. "And they still maintain their sexy figures." Her eyes drifted and Bella knew she was picturing Jared.

Her own image of Sam popped into her head. His chiseled abs, his toned biceps . . . his pronounced jawline . . . everything about him was gorgeous. So perfect that Bella didn't think she even deserved to stand next to him. She was plain and ordinary. He was completely the opposite.

"I wonder if Brady and Collin are hungry now," Bella mused. She peeked out the window, once again straining to make out the shape of the giant wolf, but failed. "Maybe I'll go see."

As Bella moved towards the front door, Leah's hand shot out to grab her arm. "Wait a second," she said. "You can't go out there. Paul said specifically for us to stay inside no matter what – until they came back and phased human." Her eyes widened. "And you do _not_ want to see how angry they get when we put ourselves in harm's way."

Kim bit her lip. "But what if they're hungry? I'd hate to think that they're stuck out there in the dark with their stomach's growling." She glanced towards the back door where the other wolf stood tensely on the porch. The blinds were closed, but the light of the moon provided the outline of his shadow against the sliding glass doors.

"They're big boys," Leah insisted. She let go of Bella's hand when she shifted her weight backwards, away from the front door. "They won't starve, I promise. Besides –" She lifted her hand to brush away a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and into her face. " – Sam probably ordered them to stay outside and make sure we're safe. If that's the case, they definitely won't come in. They can't disobey Sam."

"Can't or won't?" Bella asked.

"Can't," Leah repeated. "I don't really understand exactly what it is, but there's something in Sam's voice, some kind of effect of his authority as Alpha. Seth says that when Sam tells them to do something, they just _can't_ refuse. It's physically impossible."

"That's weird," Bella said frankly.

A shrill cell phone ringtone suddenly rang out and echoed around the tiny kitchen. Kim skittered over to the table and pulled the phone out of her purse. She glanced down at the screen for a second. "It's my mother," she gasped. "I told her Jared was taking me out for dinner and I'd be back later. I guess she thinks this is later." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back in dismay. "What do I tell her?"

"Ask if you can stay over at my house," Leah instructed. "We have no way of knowing when they'll be back. Leeches can be hard to catch sometimes."

Bella's stomach clenched. _Sam,_ she thought, lifting her eyes to the moon. _Come back, please. I'm freaking out here, and I don't know how much longer I can hide it._ "I should probably call my dad," she said aloud. "He's been wanting me to get out and hang out with friends lately. I'll tell him we went out to Port Angeles for dinner and shopping or something." She made the call, all the while thinking how strange it felt to openly lie to her father. It wasn't something she made a habit of doing, and she didn't like it. Charlie wasn't a strict father. He had the necessary rules that would keep her safe and healthy and he left most of the decision-making to Bella, and now she was completely taking advantage of that.

Bella couldn't decide of the uneasy feeling in her stomach was due to that, or just left over from Sam's absence.

Leah was covering the sandwiches with paper towels when Bella hung up after giving Charlie her excuse for not being around for dinner. "It's not like this'll keep them warm," Leah sighed, "but they'll eat them cold. They'll scarf them down so fast they won't even notice."

Bella frowned. "I guess we made them too early, huh?"

Leah shrugged. "Let's go see what movies are on Lifetime." Despite the panic that was squeezing her stomach, Bella laughed. Leah just did _not_ seem like the kind of girl who would watch Lifetime movies.

The atmosphere around them, for the most part, had been basically calm and lighthearted even with what was happening out in the woods. Of course, it couldn't remain that way.

The three girls sat, flicking through the channels on the television, when it happened.

The giant crash of a glass window breaking exploded around the room, sending all of them jumping out of their seats. They spun around to see the window next to the Clearwaters' front door completely shattered. Shards of glass were scattered all over the floor around the dining room table. Their eyes searched desperately for the cause, but there was nothing – no baseball, no broken tree limb. Nothing that one would expect to see lying on the ground when a window is broken. It was like it had been broken by the air.

Or by something that moved too quickly for human eyes to see.

The girls stood motionless for a second, each breathing heavily and shaking all over from the shock.

Bella's ears, slightly ringing from the unexpected loudness of the crash, cleared up to allow the furious snarls of a werewolf in battle to be registered by her senses. Something was wrong – _very_ wrong.

A howl rose over the snarls and yelps that echoed around the yard outside. A howl that radiated terror, horror, and fury. And with that, Bella knew. Paul had been wrong; the vampire wasn't deterred by the scents of the pack at all. It was encouraged by them. It had found them, and was passionately fighting Brady for a chance to end their lives.

A scream fought its way up Bella's throat, her hand flying to her neck in surprised panic. Next to her, Kim's eyes were wide as she watched Leah leaned over the couch, trying to inspect the damage without getting too close.

Bella's mind was numb. Suddenly she couldn't stand not knowing what was going on out there, and her feet carried her without consent. Kim's hand reached out to grab Bella's, but Bella shook it off. "Bella! What are you doing? Be careful," she cautioned frantically.

"I have to see," Bella heard herself say. "I have to see. I have to see Sam."

"Stop, Bella," Leah called. "Get away from there! It's too dangerous!"

Bella pressed her hands carefully against the wooden door, leaning around the small curtain to stare out into the night. She stood far enough away from the broken window to keep herself from getting cut. Of course, she wasn't safe from any objects that could go flying through that window, but she wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she squinted out into the night. From where she stood now, the snarls and growls were much louder and far more menacing. As she stared long enough, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and everything became clear.

Two wolves were a few feet away from the house, standing with their legs planted firmly into the ground. They kept their heads bowed low, staring straight forward. Bella followed their gaze to a person standing about fifteen feet away. With skin as pale as he had, the vampire almost glowed in the dark. He stood casually, relaxed. Arrogant. His face was inclined towards the house, towards the front door.

Towards Bella.

Bella felt their gaze meet and gasped, stumbling backwards away from the window. If this vampire's goal was to instill fear into them, it was working.

"It's only Collin and Brady," Bella sobbed. "And a vampire."

"Come back here, Bella," Leah demanded. "Get away from the door! That leech tried to fly right through the window to get to us!" She ducked in front of the couch, yanking Kim down with her. Peeking around the side to look at Bella, who was leaning shakily against the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room, she added, "It'll try to get in here again, and next time Brady and Collin might not be able to hold it back."

Bella sobbed again and slid to the floor. She crawled unsteadily over to them and sat down next to Kim, leaning her back against the area of the couch that popped up to make a footrest. They huddled together – three girls who hadn't even known each other three weeks earlier who were now grasping each other like they'd been the best of friends since preschool.

"Sam wasn't out there," Bella cried. Hot tears welled from her eyes and burned her cheeks on their decent down to her mouth. "Sam's not here. Oh, _God_ , Leah, where is he?"

"There's probably more than one leech," Leah whispered, her voice defeated. She twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "That's the only way this leech could have gotten anywhere near this property without having the rest of the pack on its heels."

"It's a male," Bella breathed. "Jacob told me last night that they thought the one they were tracking was a female."

"So they're a team," Kim whimpered. She tossed her head back, eyes closed. "And we're dead."

"No, we're not," Leah scolded. "The pack won't let anything happen to us." Her tone wasn't very confident. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself that that was true.

Bella leaned her head back against the couch in defeat. She felt like she was going to be sick. "I can't stop picturing him," she admitted in a whisper, eyes squeezed tightly closed. "I keep seeing him, standing in my kitchen, leaning against the counter, smiling at me. God, he has a beautiful smile – it's honest and real and –" She held back a sob. "I didn't get any time with him! We just . . . we just got together for _real_ and now – now he's out there fighting –"

"Stop talking like he's already dead, Bella!" Leah scolded. Outside, another round of growls rose up and all three froze, but apparently the Collin and Brady were able to keep him back because nothing else was broken. A few seconds later, everything went silent again and Bella knew they were having another stare off, each waiting for the other to make his next move. After the violent outburst was over, Leah waited a few seconds before continuing. "You guys have no idea what these wolves are capable of. They're going to be _fine_." Her hand, to Bella's surprise, reached up to rest comfortingly on Bella's knee – a gesture of friendship Bella would have only expected her to give to Kim. "I can't imagine having to deal with this a day after finding out about all of this craziness. You guys are still processing and learning about what really happens around the Reservation, and now you're huddled in my house in the middle of the woods while to sixteen-year-old boys who have transformed themselves into werewolves are standing outside defending us from a vampire who wants to kill us."

Kim's eyebrows shot up, her back straightening in alarm. "Collin and Brady are only _sixteen_?" she exclaimed.

"Shhh," Leah hushed her. "You didn't know that?"

"No! Oh, my God! They're gonna get killed out there!" Tears automatically sprung to her eyes, her cheeks going pale.

Leah yanked on a loose curl that hovered around Kim's nose to interrupt her. "Keep it together! Any minute now, Jared is going to stride through those doors and he's gonna come straight to you, and do you want yourself to be a snot-nosed, teary-eyed panicking mess when that happens?" She didn't wait for a response. "No! You don't. So breathe deeply, rest your head back and take a nap." A pause. "We're going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine."

Maybe Leah's constant repetition and deep belief in her words actually willed them to become true. Or maybe God decided to be merciful before Bella threw up her last meal all over the Clearwaters' living room. Or perhaps the intense, desperate hope that had been inside all three of their hearts had really, really paid off.

Bella didn't care which one actually made it happen, but it did. It was sudden and startling, but in a good way. Unexpectedly good – a phrase Bella had never thought she would use.

A howl echoed around the edge of the forest – clearly not from Brady or Collin. And then another one followed. A third joined in a few seconds later, and then it was a chorus.

A chorus of howls and snarls ricocheted around them, but Bella didn't need to hear the pack to know that they'd finally arrived. She could _feel_ him – Sam. She could _feel_ him outside, feel his power and his strength and his confidence suddenly surrounding her, enveloping her in a safety cocoon, slowing her heart rate and probably saving her from getting high blood pressure before her eighteenth birthday.

As she heard the loud, thumping footsteps of the pack as they surrounded the house, she finally felt like she could breathe again.

Bella heard a growl that sounded more human than wolf – the vampire – which quickly pinched off to a sound that reminded her of the time Phil had been swinging his baseball bat around the kitchen and had whacked the granite counter by mistake, cracking it in two.

A silence lasted for only a moment before a series of enthusiastic, satisfied yowls erupted from the wolves. They were rejoicing.

That was it. All of Bella's worries and fears, her nausea and her high blood pressure – all of the stress of the past two hours of her life was ended in four seconds.

The three girls sat there, disbelieving and hesitant, until the excited, celebratory yelps morphed into human hoots and hollers.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Paul's shriek was muted by the walls of the house but no less wholehearted.

Jacob's voice was closer than Paul's. "Take _that_ , you bloodsucking bastard!"

Quil and Embry were laughing with each other.

And then Sam burst through the Clearwaters' front door, and nothing else mattered.

His eyes, wide and frantic, searched the room. His jaw was tense and his hands were clenched at his sides. When his eyes landed on Bella, still huddled in front of the couch sandwiched between Leah and Kim hugging her knees to her chest, his entire body slumped in relief.

Bella flung herself into his waiting, open arms and immediately locked her own around his neck, pressing her face tightly into the side of his neck. Unable to control herself, she felt relieved tears prickle her eyes and spill over down her cheeks. She sniffled.

"Oh my God," she gasped, grasping the hair at the nap of his neck. "Are you okay? Tell me you're okay!"

"I'm okay," he rasped. His voice must have been raw from all the howling. "I'm better than okay – I'm fu – freaking amazing."

"Are you sure?" Bella pulled back to press her hands against his cheeks, scanning his entire body for any sign of injury. He _looked_ okay. Well, he looked _better_ than okay. His arms had apparently gotten quite a workout and were very, very toned and the absence of his shirt showed off his perfect abdominals. His body was just as perfect as it had been when he'd last left her.

"Bella, Bella," he said to regain her attention. She looked up and met his warm gaze. He grasped both of her hands in between his own and held them up to his chest. "I'm fine. We're all fine. Both vampires are dead, and we're safe for now."

 _For now_. Bella didn't let that worry her – yet. She just wanted to hold him and have him hold her.

Seth pushed around Sam's body and ran to his sister, embracing her. Bella watched as Leah pulled away to analyze his body for any damage. She grasped his face between her hands and shook her head at him. "You scared the crap out of me," she whispered. "How am I supposed to tell mom if you get eaten by a vampire?"

"The leech won't eat me," Seth mumbled, even though Leah was obviously kidding. "Besides – this is what I do, Lee. This is what I am. Mom knows that."

Leah rolled her eyes, but Bella could see the relief in her facial features. "I know."

Movement caught the corner of Bella's eye and she spun to see Kim practically swallowing Jared whole. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and his hands rested neatly on her butt. He held her so her head was above his and he head to reach up – probably a rare situation. They were engaging in an extremely competitive battle of the tongues. It was such a passionate encounter that Bella felt a blush surge to her cheeks and she turned away.

She looked up at her own imprint to see that he was staring at Jared, too. His eyebrow furrowed and his fingers pressed tightly against the small of her back. Bella reached up to mold her hand to his cheek and his eyes immediately shot down to her. "What about you?" he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, stealing his line. Suddenly she just wanted to kiss him. So she did.

When their lips met, an electrical shock zoomed through the both of them. Sam instantly pulled her closer so she was pressed right up against his body. Her arms reached up to once again wrap around his neck and his hands lowered to her butt. Sam deepened the kiss and leaned down even farther to devour her. When she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore, she pulled back and rested her head against his chest, rubbing her hands over his muscles. His chin rested on the top of her head.

"Oh, God," Jacob said from the doorway. "If I'd known it was one giant suck-fest in here, I would've stolen Bella's truck and went to McDonalds."

Bella laughed and peeked around Sam's arm to look at her best friend. "Are you okay, Jake?"

Jacob snorted. "I'm _fantastic_ , Bella. Didn't Sam tell you? I pulled the head off of the female."

Bella paled. "You _what_?"

Sam growled low in his throat. "She doesn't know how vampires are killed," he snapped.

Jacob's eyes widened in momentary panic. "Oh. Sorry, Bells," he said, giving her his innocent eyes.

Bella looked up at Sam. "You have to rip their body parts off?"

Sam nodded gently. "We have to tear them apart and burn them. They can be put back together if they aren't turned to ash."

Bella's heart sank. She wasn't sure how she thought vampires were killed, but that certainly wasn't the way she'd imagined. "That sounds dangerous," she whispered.

Sam placed a finger under her chin. "The entire pack is fine – except for Brady. We think he sprained his ankle, but that's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Bella squeaked. "He's hurt!"

"Do you remember what I said about our accelerated healing?" He waited for Bella to nod. "He'll be healed by midnight."

Bella poked her head out the front door to look at the rest of the pack. Outside, it was already dark. Bella didn't notice the giant bonfire in the Clearwaters' backyard until she exited through the front door and the smoke had reached Bella's nose. She spun around and at first thought the house was on fire before Sam explained that they were burning the vampire that had tried to attack them.

Bella wanted to ask about the other one – the female – but decided that she'd had enough for one night. Instead, she called out, "We made dinner, so everyone into the kitchen and eat up!" That was all it took to get them all running like bats out of hell inside the house.

Once everyone had a sandwich in hand, Sam beckoned the pack to gather around him. He greeted Jacob with a curt nod. Bella stayed right by his side, finding herself unable to lose physical contact with him. "I'm going to drive Bella home, and then I'm joining the night shift with Paul and Quil. Paul, you take the north side. Quil, stay down by the river." They both nodded in agreement and Sam turned his attention back to Jake. "I want you to relieve Quil at the first sign of daylight. And Jared – where is Jared?" He tucked Bella closer to his side mindlessly and leaned them back against the counter.

They all turned to look around for him, but neither he nor Kim were anywhere to be seen. Quil laughed. "They're probably having sex in Seth's bed."

Seth did not think that was as funny as the rest of the group did.

"Jared can have afternoon patrol," Sam continued, still chuckling a little. "Seth, you take over for Paul in the morning – same time as Jacob."

Bella watched him as he gave orders to each and every pack member. His voice was so authoritative and confident. He held his chin high and demanded respect, which he received from everyone looking on. Something about his power, his position of authority, was extremely arousing to her.

"Brady and Collin," he added, "you can take tomorrow off." He turned to make eye contact with both of them. His hand tightened around Bella's and he pulled her closer. His expression softened and he rubbed his thumb absently against Bella's cheek. "You've done your Alpha a great service today, being so willing to risk your lives to protect my mate. Thank you."

They both seemed to be embarrassed by the praise and mumbled a response. The tops of Brady's ears turned pink as he stared down at his shoes. Collin tried not to make eye contact with anyone. "She's the Alpha's mate," he said as if that were an obvious explanation. "Of course we protected her."

It was the first time she'd really heard anyone refer to her like that – like it had some sort of extra meaning. Paul and Jacob had said that being the Alpha's mate was special, but now Bella truly felt like she was for these two sixteen-year-old boys to so bravely defend her.

"Where should we look for you if there's a problem?" Seth asked innocently.

A few of the others chuckled, to Bella's confusion. It seemed like a good question. The Alpha was clearly the most important person in the pack.

"You howl, you idiot," Paul snickered. He reached out to snatch another sandwich – his fourth.

"We have the pack mind," Quil reminded him a little more kindly.

When Sam spoke, all eyes flew to him in surprise. Clearly the Alpha did not explain his own actions very often. "I'll be in Forks. That is –" He lowered his head and met Bella's gaze. "If Bella will have me?"

Bella nodded vigorously and wrapped her arms tighter around his waist. After an afternoon of not knowing whether or not he would return to her safely, she was _not_ letting him out of her sight any time soon.

He pressed his thumb against Bella's bottom lip, and the gleam in his eye told her he was thinking of pressing his lips to hers but didn't want to with the entire pack surrounding them. "I'll be in Forks all day tomorrow, spending the day with Bella. So don't need me." He grinned to let them know he was kidding. "Okay – _try_ not to need me."

Leah walked into the kitchen and placed her cell phone down on the counter. "My mom just called – she said she and Dad are with Billy and Jacob's house. I told her everyone's okay and the leeches are dead." She looked pointedly at Sam. "My dad wants to talk to you."

Bella's heart constricted. Harry Clearwater did not bring forth positive emotions in her. Above her, Sam nodded. "Tell him I'll speak with him later."

"He said to come here tomorrow," she said hesitantly, probably because his tone had such a strong sense of finality. He didn't sound like he was willing to negotiate, and he definitely wasn't taking orders from anyone.

"I'm spending the day with my imprint tomorrow," he snapped. Bella rubbed his chest, unsure of what to do when his temper flared. It wasn't Leah's fault her father was so demanding. "The situation is under control for now. There isn't an immediate threat, and no one was hurt in battle. The discussion can wait until I find a convenient time."

Leah, wisely, didn't say anything in response.

For a second, everyone silently chewed their grilled cheeses. Bella nibbled on her own, through her stomach still wasn't up to par. Embry broke the ice. "I saw to rabbits humping in the woods this morning," he announced.

Quil gasped. "No way! I saw to squirrels going at it on a tree branch the day before!"

The comedic reliefs – making light of uncomfortably tense conversations at all times of the day.

Jacob loped over to where Bella and Sam were standing and leaned next to her. "Do you still want my dad and I to come over to watch the game tomorrow?" he asked hesitantly, peeking up at Sam cautiously.

Bella smiled. "Of course! Charlie is always excited when he can watch the game with someone who actually watches the game. Come down for dinner. I'm making fish."

Jacob licked his lips. "You sure you two don't want alone time or whatever?"

The most awkward moment ever. "We'll have all afternoon," she said.

Jacob grinned.

Bella couldn't help but think that they'd all dodged a giant bullet that evening. And they weren't out of the woods yet – no pun intended. They all seemed to be expecting something more, something bigger and more dangerous. Bella feared this was only the beginning.

* * *

 **Get ready to delve deeper into the connection that Sam and Bella have in Chapter Eleven! FINALLY! We're going to see their relationship really move forward.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support. I love each and every one of you. Please, please leave me a review to let me know what you think. I write best when I have lots of feedback.**

 **See you in Chapter Eleven.**


	11. Chapter Eleven

****I know this chapter is a little later than you would normally expect it, but it's the longest chapter of the story so far, so . . . forgive me?****

 ** ** **A lot of fluff in this chapter. You're welcome.******

 **ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Eleven**

Bella woke the next morning surrounded by complete and utter tranquility. A soft light was streaming through her bedroom window, shining different squares and rectangles of light onto the carpet. Birds were chirping happily and one of her neighbors was mowing his lawn. There was no sign of the intense stress from the previous day, much to her surprise. Bella was always one to worry about things long after they'd been resolved in fear that the resolution wasn't permanent. But as she stretched, she felt no anxiety – only the comfortable warmth of her bed sheets and a pleasant flutter in her stomach that she'd begun to associate with Sam.

Her eyes fluttered open and her stretching stopped, the lazy groan getting caught in her throat. Sam was coming back today – this morning, right now! And she was still in her pajamas.

Her very unattractive, very boring pajamas.

That thought alone was enough to have her leaping onto her feet. Once she was freshly showered, dressed, and organized, she felt a sudden need to have a meal prepared for him when he arrived back from patrolling. Surely he would be there soon – he'd promised her last night.

 _Her keys jingled in her hand as she stepped onto her small front porch. Sam followed her dutifully, continuously watching her for any signs of distress or panic. Normally, these emotions would be absolutely common for Bella, but Sam's presence sent a calm through her like she'd never felt before. She unlocked the door but before she could push it open, Sam's hand shot out to stop her. "Wait," he said lowly. "Let me go in first."_

 _His reasoning was clear, and it sent a shiver up Bella's spine. He wanted to make sure she didn't have a vampire visitor. She stepped aside and leaned against the railing, her heart beating a thousand miles a minute._

 _Sam slipped inside and disappeared, leaving Bella alone in the darkness. Although, she thought, she was sure she wasn't alone. Something told Bella there was at least one more wolf lurking in the woods, ready to help his Alpha in the case of another situation popping up. She didn't know who that wolf would be – maybe Jacob or Jared, though she couldn't imagine him leaving Kim alone after the evening's events._

 _A minute later, Sam reappeared in the doorway with an unreadable expression. "It's clear," he said. "Charlie's asleep upstairs. You're safe."_

 _"I always feel safe with you," she whispered passionately._

 _Sam wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close, flesh against flesh, and pressed a deep, meaningful kiss to her lips. Being in his arms took away all of her worry. They stood there for what felt like hours. He pressed her up against the side of the house, pulling back to trail kisses down her neck and to her collar bone. Everywhere his hands touched scorched against her skin. She could feel the rough callouses that had formed on his palms as he rubbed them up her thighs. Nothing had ever felt as passionate to Bella, but she didn't fear it. She welcomed it. She loved him._

 _"So there are more, then?" she whispered as he continued his path up the other side of her neck. She didn't want to interrupt his kisses, but she just had to know._

 _He groaned when she pulled at his hair. "I don't know," he breathed against her cheek, "but I'll find out. I'm going to make you safe, Bella."_

 _They stumbled backwards into the house, not breaking the kiss until they needed to close the door behind them. Sam slid the deadbolt into place as Bella flicked a few lights on, illuminating the hallway and kitchen. She turned two little lamps on in the living room. "Do you need something to drink?" she asked._

 _She turned to find him watching her –_ always _watching her. His eyes burned with an intensity Bella hadn't noticed until right then. They held some hidden emotion that she couldn't quite name – fear, pain? Anger? Not anger towards her, but still anger. He shook his head minutely and stepped carefully towards her, reaching his hand out to take hers. He sat down on the couch and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms snuggly around her once again. Bella leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes contently._

 _"I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered brokenly. His breath fanned across her neck, hot and humid._

 _Bella tucked her hands into the nap of his neck. "Collin and Brady kept us safe. They were great."_

 _He stared blankly at the wall behind the television. "The entire time we were chasing after it, I was picturing your face. The smile that you wore the very first time I met you, when Jacob brought you along cliff diving, remember? God, that terrified me, watching you jump over that cliff after him. But I couldn't do anything about it."_

 _Bella hadn't considered that he would have imprinted on her before even the barbeque in Jake's backyard when they had their first communication. It was strange to think that his affection went back as far as that day, that moment._

 _He scrunched his nose up in disgust. "That day, the sound of your heartbeat was forever etched in my ears. And tonight, that's all I could hear. Not the rest of the pack asking for instructions, wondering what the plan was. Not even my own thoughts. All I could think about was getting back to you, having you in my arms, making sure you were safe."_

 _Bella was afraid to move, afraid she would lift him out of this spell he was under. "You did make sure I was safe," she reminded him gently. She rubbed her thumbs over his cheeks reassuringly. "You sent Paul to find get me and take me to Leah's. And then you sent Brady and Collin to defend us."_

 _"Oh, God, you don't know how much I wanted to be the one to go get you," he gasped. He tucked his face tightly into her neck and pulled her ever closer, almost desperately. "Sending Paul instead of going myself made me feel like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. But when Quil picked up the scent, I was home, and that made me closer to him than I was to you. Embry was a good ten minutes away, and Jacob too, and I couldn't just let Quil go after that thing on his own." He bared his teeth in a grimace, eyes still locked to the wall. The dim lighting from the lamps created a shadow across his face, highlighting his eyes that were yellowed with primal intensity. "And then the other one showed up at Leah's, and felt like I could have thrown up. If I'd been human, I probably would have."_

 _"It didn't touch us," she assured him. "Collin and Brady kept it away until you guys got there to help."_

 _"It almost did, though," he growled. "It almost got in. It tossed Collin aside like he was nothing." His eyes tightened and his lips molded into a thin line. A rumble started deep in his chest, and she knew he was picturing the broken glass window that was shattered in Leah's dining room._

 _"Stop," she begged him. "Stop torturing yourself. It's not your fault they came after us. And you saved us. We're together now, and that's all that matters."_

 _"Together," he repeated numbly. "Are we? Are we together?"_

 _She kissed is cheek. "Of course, Sam. I'm yours just like you're mine."_

 _"Mine," he growled._

 _She nodded against his shoulder, and then his lips were on hers once again. He nudged her gently so that she was lying back on the couch and he was hovering over her. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and her arms locked around his neck. He ripped his shirt off and tossed it haphazardly over his shoulder and Bella's hands traveled over the smooth contours of his stomach. Both of them were so consumed with passion that it felt like they wouldn't ever be able to pull apart._

 _He pulled her roughly against him Bella gasped when she felt exactly how much he wanted her. She reached up to touch the back of his head and he let out an animalistic growl into her chest, tucking his face between her breasts._

 _Bella realized exactly where they were going. As much as she wanted to continue, as much as she wanted him, she knew that wasn't the right place, or the right time. She didn't want to make love to him for the first time on her living room couch with her father asleep upstairs. Of course, it would still be special. Giving her virginity to Sam would be special no matter what. But Bella had always imagined her first time being so much more romantic than a scene on a couch, and she couldn't help but feel like she deserved to have that._

 _She pushed on his shoulders. "Wait. Wait, stop."_

 _Instantly, he pulled back enough to look at her face. "What's wrong?" His eyes widened. "Did I hurt you?"_

 _She shook her head. "No, of course not. I just . . ." She didn't want to tell him she wasn't ready or didn't want to, because both of those were lies and they'd been through far too much that evening to end it with some sort of sexual propaganda. But telling him she wanted it to be more romantic made her sound . . . well, like a little schoolgirl with her first boyfriend. Which was entirely true. And it was three o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. She bit her lip. "I-I just . . . I thought –"_

 _He held himself over her very carefully, his hands propped on the arm rest behind her head. He didn't look at her, instead staring at something above her head and breathing very deeply, his chest heaving harshly. He cocked his head to the side and cracked his neck._

 _Unsure of what to do, Bella reached up and traced his lips with her index finger. Startled, he pulled back roughly and let out a snarl._

 _Bella, hurt by his violent rejection, pulled her hand back and tried to fight the tears that sprung to her eyes._

 _Sam probably smelt the saltiness of her tears and his attention snapped down to her. "Tell me to stop, Bella," he whispered. "Please."_

 _Bella swallowed. "S-Stop."_

 _At that, he shoved himself away from her and stood, pacing back and forth around the living room. Bella stayed exactly where she was, a little nervous about his behavior. When she was sure he wasn't going to burst into a giant black wolf in the middle of her house, she cautiously sat up and smoothed out her hair. After a minute or two, he calmed, pulled his shirt back over his head, and sat down carefully next to her._

 _He reached his hand out hesitantly and pulled her close again when Bella took it. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he breathed. "It's just . . . difficult for me to be so close to you and then . . . stop."_

 _Bella pinched the hem of his T-shirt between her fingers. "Why?"_

" _My instinct is to mate with you," he said quietly. "Especially when you're around the rest of the pack. I want to claim you as my mate."_

 _Bella's stomach fluttered. "I just want it to be special. And have Charlie not be in the building."_

 _Sam grinned a little. "Of course. You deserve for it to be special. I promise I'll make it that way. I just got . . . caught up in your scent, and with everything –"_

" _I love you," she interrupted._

 _Sam pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "I love you, too." He glanced at the clock above the television. "I have to get outside and patrol."_

 _Bella's fingers clutched at him intensely without meaning to. "Alright."_

 _He kissed her deeply, running his fingers through her hair. "I won't be far at all – just right outside."_

 _Bella frowned. "What do you mean?"_

" _I've been watching over you, Bella," he murmured. "Every night I come out here to keep you safe. I even have my own spot just inside the woods. I can hear if you call to me."_

" _Why don't you just stay inside, then?" she challenged him. "Why stand outside? It's supposed to rain all night long."_

" _I can communicate with the others better as a wolf."_

" _You won't be far?"_

" _I won't let your house leave my sight," he promised, "and I'll have you back in my arms when the sun comes up."_

In the present, Bella stood at the kitchen window that overlooked the front yard and saw him emerge from the woods. His shirt was absent once again – he'd left it with her so she could sleep in it and have his scent around her – and his cargo shorts were dangling dangerously low. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, and she flew outside to greet him. She launched herself into his arms and he caught her easily.

"I missed you," she said, surprised at exactly how true that was. She didn't know when she'd become the girl who obsessed about her boyfriend – after all, he'd barely been her boyfriend for a week – but there she was, clinging to him with all her might. It must be the imprint, she thought.

And of course he had her entire body trembling in delight. Last night, he'd revealed to her that he'd been sleeping in the woods for three weeks to make sure that nothing harmed her as she slept. He was the sweetest man she could have imagined, and he was all hers.

"I missed you, too," he answered. His hands rubbed up and down her back and he stared emotionally at her face, as if he were memorizing it.

"I made breakfast," she told him excitedly.

He grinned down at her. "I could smell it from outside, but I had to wait for Jacob to phase. When we're separated like we are today, I want at least three wolves to be phased at one time. It gives us more backup and defense."

Bella tugged on his hand until he followed her obediently into the kitchen. He sat down at the table, carefully avoiding the chair that he knew was Charlie's. Bella plated his breakfast and sat it down in front of him, almost regretting not starting a stopwatch to see exactly how quickly he scarfed it all down. She'd already eaten her first meal of the day while she waited for him to arrive, so she settled down across from him with a fresh cup of coffee instead of a plate.

"This is delicious," he said between swallows. "Thank you. But don't feel obligated to feed me every morning, Bella."

"Does that mean you'll be _around_ to have breakfast every morning?"

"Well, it may not _always_ be me," he said, "as much as I'd like it to be. Sometimes I have to send Embry in my place, when someone or something else needs my attention."

Bella's nose wrinkled. "Why Embry?"

Sam shrugged. "He's a great fighter. I can't send Paul because I need to keep him on the border to watch the Rez and I can't send Jared because he's got his own imprint to watch over."

"What about Jake?"

Sam dropped his fork loudly onto his plate and his eyes immediately darkened. He shook his head. "I can't send Jacob to watch over you while you sleep. Not knowing how he felt about you – probably still feels about you. I wouldn't be able to concentrate, knowing he's right outside your bedroom window. Embry is a good defense for you and he's never thought of you as more than a sister." He leaned his head to the side to crack his neck. "It's very rare that it's not me out there, anyway. Protecting my imprint is _my_ job."

"But being the Alpha is your job, too," Bella said. She watched the tendons in his neck flex and bulge as he moved and wondered how such a large man could move as gracefully as Sam did. She tapped her foot restlessly on the floor, fidgeting uncomfortably. Between them there was a constant pull, like a solid strand of rope had been tied at the ends to each of their hearts and the distance between them was stretching it farther than it was meant to be stretched. They weren't touching at all, and that sent a wave of disappointment through Bella.

Sam must have felt the connection between them as well because he reached a hand out to invite her to sit with him. She got up right away and settled comfortably into his lap. His voice rumbled in her ear as she rested her head against his chest. "Yes, being the Alpha is my job, too. But the council will always agree that my duty to my imprint will _always_ be more important than my duty to the pack."

"Why?" Bella whispered, playing with the collar of his shirt so she could avoid his gaze. "I'm not even a member of the tribe. Why would they agree that you should protect me over protecting the natives of La Push?"

Sam sighed. "Once a werewolf imprints, he can't function without her. The council knows this. If I lose you – or even if you just get hurt – I won't be able to breathe, let alone be in fighting condition. I will quite literally fall apart into an emotionless shell. All of my will to live will be gone if I don't have you in my life, and I wouldn't be any help to _anyone_ if that happens." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "The only reason I would send Embry in my place would be if someone found a trace of a leech's scent on our property during the day. Then I'd stay on the Rez in hopes of finding it that night."

Bella tilted her head back so she could kiss his lips. "Do you ever wish Jake would just take over the pack for you?"

"I used to," he admitted, "before I imprinted on you."

"Why before? It just seems like your being the Alpha only keeps us apart."

Sam shook his head. "That's true, I do have more responsibilities. Our relationship is much different than Jared's with Kim. And when Jacob decides he wants to be Alpha – if he ever does – I won't have a choice but to step down willingly. But as the Alpha, I can get you as much protection as you need. I can make you as safe as possible."

Bella bit her lip, debating whether or not her next question was a wise one to ask. Eventually she decided she needed its answer. "If you weren't the Alpha, would you . . . you know, still be stuck in La Push?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, um, yesterday Leah told me you can't leave the Reservation because you need to stay with the pack," she said quietly, timidly. "If you weren't the Alpha, would you still . . . you know, have to stay here your entire life?"

Sam didn't say anything for a moment, silently stroking his hand through her hair. When she looked up to study his expression, he looked thoughtful and perhaps a little confused about why she'd asked. "If Jacob took over as Alpha, I would need his permission to leave as well as the permission of the council. As a wolf, my duty is to serve the tribe. I would need a very, very convincing reason to want to leave for them to allow it."

"That's not fair," Bella complained. "You didn't volunteer to become a werewolf, it's in your genes. They can't control your life like that!"

"I suppose you're right," he said, "but it doesn't make a difference. I wouldn't ever want to leave."

Bella's heart dropped into her stomach.

When he saw Bella's expression, his eyes widened. "What? What's wrong?"

Bella shook her head. The last thing he needed in addition to all of the stress that the recent vampire spottings have created for him was to think Bella wanted to leave him. He'd just sat there and told her he wouldn't have a will to live without her. "Nothing," she mumbled.

"Bella," he scolded.

"No, really," she insisted. "It's nothing."

Sam growled. "Something's wrong, Bella, your face is paler than usual." He reached up to press his thumb in the space between her eyebrows. "And when you're thinking really hard about something, you always get a little crease right _here_. Now tell me."

She sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't keep things from him. "I-I just . . . I always thought that after graduation, I'd go to college in Arizona."

Sam froze. Bella watched his eyes double in size and her stomach flipped. His lips parted and he started to speak, but nothing came out. Bella worried her lip until he spoke. "That's so far away," he whispered, not making eye contact with her. He stared blankly at the space above her head and his hands gripped hers closer to his chest, like he was afraid she was going to get up and run away.

"I know," she answered simply. "I just . . . I hoped you would come with me."

His nostrils flared. "Bella, I love you. I would follow you anywhere you wanted to go – if I were human. But I'm not, baby. I'm not human. And we have to stay here."

Something like annoyance prickled in Bella's stomach when he said _we_. "I don't want to be without you, either, Sam. But I'm _not_ tied to the Reservation. I don't have to stay here my entire life. I don't –" She hesitated. "I don't even know if I would be happy here my entire life."

"That's just because we haven't had sex yet," he interrupted.

Bella's hand flew to her throat. "Excuse me?"

"Once we have sex, we'll be bonded together," he responded, but Bella could tell that the calm in his voice was fragile and borderline. "You won't even think about leaving after that – you'll be happy here."

"I know that I'll always be happy with you, Sam," she whispered. "But I don't know that I'll be happy _here_. This is my life, too."

He stared at her, studying her face closely. "Really? You wouldn't be happy here?" It was a weak whisper, full of emotion. Maybe fear.

Bella shook her head. "Not if I feel trapped here. Not if I feel like we don't have a choice."

Sam licked his bottom lip, thinking. "This is something we'll have to discuss," he said almost unwillingly.

Bella nodded and placed a hand on his heaving chest. "Sam, I'm not going to leave you," she assured him. She couldn't stand to watch him walk away from her knowing he'd be back the next _morning_ , let alone leave him behind for months at a time. She wasn't ever going to leave Forks without him; what she wanted was for him to go with her. She told him that. "We're not going to split up. I just want you to consider going to Arizona with me – _for_ me. To support me, to support what _I_ want to do with _my_ life."

He blinked slowly. He kissed her nose gently. "I understand. I love you."

Bella kissed his jaw in response. "I love you, too."

* * *

 **Three hours later,** they were lounging on Bella's couch, wrapped tightly in each other's arms. Sam's hands were resting lightly on Bella's hips while hers fisted in the hair at the base of his neck. Their tongues danced and their hips rotated against each other in perfect harmony, another reminder that the two were absolutely made for each other – a perfect match. He swallowed her happy, content sighs and she giggled at his sexually-frustrated growls. Bella would have been content to make out with him like that for _days_ at a time, but she knew that Charlie would be home shortly, and Jacob and Billy would be joining them later for dinner.

She pulled back and smiled at the exasperated growl that rumbled deep in his chest. "Charlie has to be on his way home by now," she reminded him. "He still doesn't know you're my boyfriend. I can't let him find out by walking in on us dry humping on the couch that he takes his afternoon naps on every weekend." He'd gone out fishing with one of his friends from the station and would only be gone for the morning.

Sam leaned his head back against the couch but did not release her hips. "I'll hear him coming. When do you go back to school?"

Bella grinned at the question – she knew he was trying to distract himself from his arousal. "Tuesday," she told him. A water pipe had burst the week before, flooding the entire high school for the second half of the week. In a way it had been a blessing – not having school on the Friday she'd found out about werewolves existing meant she hadn't had any homework to do over the weekend. She obviously wouldn't have been able to get any homework done while on lockdown at the Clearwaters' house, and then she'd have been stuck with it all today, leaving no time to spend with Sam. Tomorrow would be her last day off before returning. She frowned. "I'll miss you all day long."

He grinned a giant, wolfish grin. "I'll send Paul to watch over you during the day, not that I think a leech would try something during the day like that."

"Did anyone find any new scents last night?" she asked carefully.

He shook his head. "Nothing new so far. But that's a good thing, baby."

"Something you said earlier has me confused."

His forehead creased.

"You said that being a wolf is a full-time job," she recalled. "What did you mean by that?"

"The council _does_ acknowledge that we've had our lives taken over by the wolf gene." He shrugged. "They want us to be rewarded for that. So they pay us."

Bella's mouth dropped open. "They _pay_ you?"

He nodded. "They pay for our housing and health insurance and give us about eighty thousand a year."

"Wow," Bella said. "That's nice."

"They want to make sure we don't get distracted by human jobs." He rubbed his hands suggestively against her butt. "It's supposed to rain tonight," he said, changing the subject. "I might have to come inside for a while though the night to avoid the harshness of the weather."

Bella's cheeks blushed pink and rested her hands on his chest. "I thought you said the rain didn't bother you."

"It doesn't," he chuckled. "But Charlie's car just turned the corner at the stop sign, and I'm not done kissing your entire body yet." Bella gasped as he suddenly pulled her close and pressed a wet kiss to the side of her neck, rubbing against her. For a moment, she closed her eyes and gave in, but the noises that floated inside from the driveway yanked her into reality.

Outside, a car door slammed. Bella's eyes widened and she hopped off of Sam's lap, taking a seat in the recliner a few feet away. She hoped the blush that had flushed over her entire body would fade before he got inside. Sam's heated gaze running all over her body certainly wasn't helping.

Charlie pushed open the front door and dropped hung his keys on the little hook next to it. "Hey, Bells!" he called out like usual. "I just talked to Billy. He and Jake will be here tonight around six. I just stopped home to grab my badge." He was rummaging through the kitchen, probably grabbing a snack from the fridge. His voice was muffled by the wall that separated them. "I'm gonna spend the afternoon up at the station – I have some paperwork I gotta get done."

Bella glanced at the clock – it was only noon. "Did you catch any fish this morning?"

"A few," he answered, "but Mark took them all home with him. I told him we don't have any more freezer space." He rounded the corner and stopped when he saw Sam. He blinked. "I didn't know we had company, Bella."

She bit her lip. "Sam and I were just – hanging out." She hoped she wasn't blushing.

Charlie stared at Sam. "Are you two seeing each other?" he asked point-blank.

Bella didn't know what to say, but Sam answered for her. "We're dating, Charlie. I'm her boyfriend."

Bella expected him to make a comment about how he'd always expected Bella to get together with Jacob, but he surprised her by grinning. "Billy said yesterday he thought the two of you would make a good couple. I wish you would have told me, though, Bella."

She bit her lip. "It's kind of new, Dad. We just started going out."

Charlie crinkled his eyes, glancing between the two of them. They must have done a good job looking innocent and not-deeply-in-love because he took a giant bite out of his half-eaten apple and continued. "Are you staying for dinner tonight? And the game?"

Sam nodded his confirmation.

Charlie whistled. "Well, Bells, I guess we're going to have a full house tonight."

"Why do you say that?" Billy and Jake were regular visitors during baseball season, and the addition of one extra guest seem like much more.

"I ran into Harry Clearwater at the gas station when I stopped on my way home," he said. "I invited them down so we don't end up with a lot of extra food like we always do. He's bringing his family with him, too. Sue and their two kids."

Bella's heart practically stopped, mostly because of the expression on Sam's face. His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared, making him look more like an angry wolf than a man. His fists clenched at his sides, and as Bella looked closer, she could see them quivering a little. The muscles in his arms tensed, but he didn't say anything.

Charlie finished off his apple and glanced at Bella, oblivious to Sam's meltdown occurring four feet away. "I can go into the station earlier tomorrow. I think I'll just – head upstairs and make a few phone calls."

Bella knew he just didn't want to leave her alone with Sam in the house but couldn't ask Sam to leave, either. She watched him trudge up the steps carefully, almost afraid to make eye contact with the wolf sitting on her couch. When Charlie was out of sight, she got up and tucked herself into his side. His arms immediately wrapped around her and anchored her to his waist. "You didn't talk to Harry yet," she stated.

"No," Sam rumbled. "I didn't. But I guess I'm going to." He rubbed his hand up and down Bella's arm and Bella could tell he was trying to calm himself down with her presence. She rested her head on his shoulder reassuringly. "Just don't leave my side, alright? Don't be alone with him."

"With Harry?"

Sam nodded. "I don't trust him. He's not giving up on getting Leah and I together, and I don't want him near you, especially not alone. Stay close to me or Jacob?"

Bella kissed his cheek and nodded. Harry Clearwater was the last person she would have invited into her home, but she couldn't control Charlie's actions, and she couldn't tell her father about the sick feeling Harry Clearwater put in her stomach. Of course she would stay by Sam's side the entire night. She was _not_ about to let Harry push Sam and Leah closer together.

Bella wrapped her arms tightly around Sam's neck.

"Here comes another evening turned sour," she said bitterly.

Sam sighed and kissed her lips.

* * *

 **Still with me? We're in for an entertaining Chapter Twelve, everyone.**

 **Thank you all once again for the fantastic reviews. I'm so pleased with the response I'm getting from this story. Please continue to leave me reviews on what you thought of this chapter! This is the LONGEST chapter I've given you yet, so . . . give me something in return? *bats eyelashes kindly***

 **Be on the lookout for a new one-shot pairing Bella with a wolf. It will appear on my profile within the next few days, hopefully.**

 **See you in Chapter Twelve.**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Twelve**

Bella was upstairs brushing her hair when the doorbell rang. Immediately, she stopped her actions and looked up, meeting Sam's gaze through the mirror. His eyes were hard and emotionless, his entire body tense. The set tension in his jaw and the stiffness of his arm muscles reminded Bella much of the very first time she'd been introduced to the pack – in Jacob's backyard. The Sam who was sitting rigidly on the edge of her bed was _not_ the Sam who'd been cuddling and kissing her all afternoon.

In that moment, he was the Alpha. Not her boyfriend.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Even his voice was edgy, overwrought with anger and stress.

Bella picked up the gray T-shirt she'd traded for the long-sleeved purple blouse and dropped it into her hamper. "Yeah, I think so. I mean – as ready as I'm ever going to be."

Sam was silent for a second, staring meaningfully at the ground, his hands clenched at his sides. He was likely listening to some conversation going on downstairs. Suddenly his eyebrows lifted in relief. "Jacob is on our side."

Bella's stomach dropped a little. Taking sides meant the problems between Sam and Harry were deeper than she thought, deep enough to involve the entire pack. "How do you know?"

"He and Billy just arrived," he told her stiffly. "Jacob isn't happy with Harry's invitation either."

Bella smoothed her hair back and pulled her sleeves so they covered her palms. "We'd better get downstairs, then. Charlie will be calling for us any second now." She shook her head. "I'm surprised he hasn't come up here to make sure we aren't having sex."

Despite the stress Bella knew was attacking his stomach, Sam grinned a barely-there smile, just a minute lifting of the corners of his mouth. "He's trying to convince Jacob to come upstairs and spy on us. He's concerned that we're being so quiet."

"Let's go, then," she sighed. "We'll prove that we're not groping each other." She turned to go for the door, but a warm hand wrapped around her waist and held her in place. He bent so that their noses were just barely touching.

"Wait a minute," he breathed. His eyes softened in a way that they only did when he looked at her. "I have something I want to give you." He dug around in his back pocket and retrieved a tiny blue box. He held it out to her unopened and stared deep into her eyes until she reached out to take it from him. "Go ahead, open it."

Bella carefully lifted the lid, peering down at the necklace that rested inside it. It was a silver chain that appeared to have been recently cleaned as it shined even under the dim lighting of her bedroom. In the middle, a tiny charm dangled. It was a wooden, hand-crafted black wolf and it was beautiful.

Bella looked up to meet Sam's anxious gaze. She bit her lip as she realized what a big deal this had to be for Sam, giving this to her. He picked the necklace up pinched each end between his thumbs and index fingers. Her heart fluttered as he attached it around her neck, purposefully brushing his fingers over her throat as he did so. She breathed in a deep breath of his masculine, woodsy scent and closed her eyes.

"This is a tradition in the legends of the pack," he explained quietly. "When a wolf imprinted, he made a charm like this for his imprint to wear around her neck. It's a way to show every member of the tribe how special she is and every member of the pack exactly who she belongs to. He was to make the wolf the same color as his own wolf to make each imprint's necklace special and specific. Jared will make one for Kim, only the wolf will be light brown instead of black." He rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek. "This necklace cements your place in the tribe and shows everyone how important you are. Bella, you're the most special imprint there could be – the Alpha's imprint. This necklace will show every member of the tribe that you are to be respected."

Bella's mind clicked. "Harry will see it tonight," she whispered.

His nostrils flared and he nodded. "Yes. I wanted to give it to you in a more . . . _meaningful_ way. But I need to send Harry a message loud and clear, and I think this is the best way to do it. Will you wear it always?" He swallowed. "For me and my sanity?"

Bella reached up to place her palm over the little wolf around her neck. "Of course, Sam. I love it."

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, his hands resting on her hips. He pushed his fingers through the empty belt loops on her jean shorts. She sighed into his mouth and he deepened the kiss. She weaved her fingers through his hair and tugged, driving a moan out of him.

When Sam grew tired of bending down, he lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Her stomach pressed against his toned abs and she inhaled deeply, letting her senses fill with his scent – a strange but welcome mixture of the forest, peppermint, and his natural aroma.

One of his hands slipped from her waist and slid under her shirt, lifting directly to her breast, and sent a jolt through Bella's body. Before she realized it, he'd walked them backwards and was laying her down on her bed, crawling up to hover over her.

Just when things looked like they were going to heat up, Charlie sent up an interruption. The man had perfect timing, Bella had to admit.

Her attention was called away from Sam as a pair of feet began exaggeratedly stomping up the stairs. Someone, she assumed it was Jacob, cleared his throat loudly. "I'm coming upstairs now with the intent to go into the bathroom across from Isabella Swan's bedroom," he hollered, trying to sound serious. "If any body parts are visible that you don't want me to see, I strongly suggest that you cover them right now."

Sam's lips twitched in an attempt at a smile, but the circumstances just wouldn't let him. He stood and helped Bella do the same, watching with dark, aroused eyes as she adjusted her shirt and fiddled with her hair.

When Jacob appeared at the top of the stairs, he had a big cheeky smile on his face. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "Sorry, Bells," he said, "but your dad was losing his mind down there. I had to put him out of his misery." He noticed the necklace that dangled around her neck and took a step back unconsciously, eyes wide.

Bella realized that she'd never _really_ spoken to Jacob about her being Sam's imprint, and she owed him a conversation for sure. This representation around her neck must have been a little unexpected. "I can't complain. He didn't throw a fit when we told him we're together." Charlie was always hesitant about relationships between two people who hadn't known each other very long – like Sam and Bella – and it shocked her that he hadn't had something to say about them.

Sam lifted a hand to brush a stand of hair out of Bella's face, calling his presence to Jacob's attention. Jacob's smile slid from his face and his eyes shifted to Sam's. He looked at him expectantly, as if he were awaiting orders. "Do you have a plan for tonight?"

Sam's teeth appeared for a split second as his lips pulled up in a sneer. "I'm not mentioning anything to Harry about the other night. He has no right to demand answers out of me. I am the Alpha of this pack and I do not have to explain myself to him."

"And if he asks?"

Sam hesitated. "He gets reminded of his place."

Jacob nodded like he knew exactly what that meant and that had been the answer he'd been expecting. Bella, however, was clueless. "What's his place?"

"The job of the council is to provide advice to the pack when they need it," Sam explained patiently. "My position as the Alpha is more authoritative than a position on the council. They're important, but not as important as I am. I don't answer to them or need their approval for my choices, and Harry needs to be reminded of that."

Bella was suddenly glad that Charlie had suggested ordering a few pizzas instead of having Bella prepare a meal. Any information Bella could get out of Sam or Jacob was much needed and extremely helpful as she entered this new life. Still, she knew that Charlie wouldn't be happy with the three of them staying upstairs all evening, and the game would be starting soon. The Clearwaters' would be arriving any minute, and she could feel the tension rolling off of Sam's shoulders. She entwined her fingers with his. "We'd better get downstairs before Charlie comes up here himself."

* * *

 **The moment Harry** Clearwater stepped into the Swan house, Sam's entire body turned to stone. Bella, seated next to him on the couch, felt his stomach muscles coil tighter like he was getting ready to spring up and attack. He had her tucked tightly into his side with his arm resting behind her on the back of the couch. When Charlie ushered the Clearwater family into the too-small living room, he pressed his palm into Bella's side and pulled her even closer, his eyes burning.

Bella leaned into him to make herself even closer, knowing that was what he really needed – to have her near him, to know that she was safe. She squeezed her fist around a small portion of his T-shirt. Its light brown color contrasted beautifully with his skin.

Jacob was on her other side, not quite touching her. He rested his ankle on his opposite knee and Bella knew he was trying to look relaxed, but his clenched fists were throwing off the image.

Harry held his chin high as he walked into the room, as if he thought he deserved respect from everyone in it. He looked around expectantly, probably waiting for everyone to stand up and bow down to him. Seth hesitated at the door, glancing between his Alpha and his father. Clearly he didn't know which man he was to give his loyalty to. Bella sent him a sympathetic smile, which he returned behind his father's back.

Harry's eyes found Sam immediately. His lips pulled up into a fake smile. "Good evening, everyone," he greeted. "

Billy was seated closer to the door where there was plenty of room for his wheelchair. He nodded stiffly at his long-time friend. "Harry."

Harry glanced towards him. The wrinkles around his eyes reminded Bella that he was an elder, a council member. He was, perhaps, older and wiser, but Sam was young, vibrant, healthy, and strong. Harry was powerful, but not as powerful as Sam.

Sue Clearwater's voice drifted into the room from the kitchen, where she was asking Charlie if she could use the microwave to warm the dip she'd brought along with her. Apparently it would take a few minutes because she bounced into the room a few seconds later with a friendly, excited expression on her face – the complete opposite of her husband's. Leah followed behind her, her expression not unfriendly, just extremely wary and hesitant of the situation she was walking into. "Billy, hello!" Sue cheered, bending to wrap him in a hug. "How are you?"

Billy cleared his throat. "I'm doing fine, Suzie, and yourself?" His voice rumbled roughly, like he was forcing himself to sound like he was in a good mood.

"I'm wonderful," she exclaimed, moving to stand next to her frozen-in-place husband.

Charlie, of course, was oblivious to the tension in the room. He moseyed over to his normal chair and waved a hand. "You all can sit down," he insisted. "There's plenty of room." Charlie and Sam had brought extra chairs inside from the shed in the backyard so that everyone wouldn't be crammed onto the couch. A great idea because if Sam got anywhere near Harry, he would probably strangle him.

"Well, we are here to watch a baseball game, aren't we?" Harry said.

* * *

 **Sam Uley was** in his own personal hell. It wasn't enough that he was making his first impression on his imprint's father while watching a baseball game between two teams that he couldn't have cared less about. He had to try and make Charlie like him while at the same time not letting him figure out how much hatred he held for Harry Clearwater, a man who he called a close friend.

In addition to Charlie, he was now stuck in a room with a girl who he'd almost had a relationship with before meeting his soulmate. A girl whose father was still trying urgently to get them together.

Plus he had two teenage werewolves who were under his control staring at him, waiting for any kind of instructions.

And his mate was _literally_ in the middle of it all.

To say that Sam was stressed would be the understatement of the year.

Bella reached up to press her hand against his chest. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

He was anything but okay, but he wasn't about to tell her that. It would only worry her, and she was already panicked enough. He leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. "I'm fine, baby."

"You don't look fine," she scolded.

He closed his eyes. Of course she would know that he was lying – she was his imprint. The sun to his moon, the yin to his yang, the sand to his beach, the water to his ocean. His other half. "I'll be fine as long as you're right next to me," he whispered back.

She accepted this unwillingly and leaned her head on his shoulder, squinting at the game on the television. The pitcher on the home team struck the batter out to end the second inning, and Charlie and Jacob jumped up to high-five each other. Billy hollered happily from where his wheelchair was resting between Jacob's end of the couch and Charlie's recliner. Seth had taken a chair on Billy's left and was close enough to fist bump Jacob as the teams on the screen swapped places.

On Sam's left, Leah was the closest to him. Harry had taken the chair farthest away from Sam, closest to the TV. A wise choice, because Sam wanted to break his jaw.

Sam's hatred towards Harry was a new thing. Before Bella, when Harry was just trying to set he and Leah up, the strongest emotion Sam had felt towards the old man was annoyance. If he'd wanted to date Leah, he would pursue her on his own. He'd never needed help getting a girl. When he imprinted on Bella, Sam had assumed Harry would remove the pressure for him to fall in love with Leah. He hadn't, of course. He did the opposite – pushing Leah and Sam together even more desperately. And in return, he'd made Sam's imprint uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Seeing Bella timid and unsure of herself was what had brought Sam to hate Harry. _Truly_ hate him. In Sam's eyes, Harry was a threat to his relationship with his imprint. And that was _unacceptable_.

Everything else that Harry did – like trying to control Sam's actions as Alpha and assuming his opinion meant more than it really did – only made his hate fire burn hotter.

Sam knew he'd chosen his seat on purpose – not because he was avoiding Sam. Harry was a stupid man and didn't fear Sam as he should. He'd chosen his seat knowing that Sue would sit next to him, leaving only one chair for Leah to occupy.

Right next to Sam.

At least Leah was as opposed to dating Sam as Sam was himself. That was the only thing that made this evening better. At the moment, Leah Clearwater was on Sam's good side. As soon as she'd found out about Sam's imprinting on Bella, she'd stopped agreeing to go along with her father's antics. And then, a few days before, she'd watched out for his imprint when she was in danger as well. Leah had comforted Bella and offered her an insight into the mystical world that Sam hadn't been able to – a female insight.

But the thing that had earned Leah the most points was her assurance to Bella that she wasn't interested in Sam. He knew that was a lie – Leah had always had feelings for Sam that went beyond friendship – but she'd wanted to make Bella feel better because she knew that _Bella_ was the right one for Sam, not herself.

Sam wouldn't call Leah his friend, but she wasn't as spiteful as her father. She gave Sam the respect he deserved as the Alpha of the werewolf pack, and in return, Sam allowed her little brother to live a more normal teenage boy life – well, as normal as it could be.

Sam and Leah had an understanding. He just wished Harry would back off and stop being an asshole.

The game had gone to commercial when the doorbell rang, so small conversations had started through the room. Jacob and Seth jumped up enthusiastically. "Pizza!" they yelled at the same time.

Sam chuckled. He'd been getting a little hungry himself, but he wasn't about to stand up until Bella did. He wasn't letting her out of his sight. He couldn't risk Harry cornering her alone and saying something that would upset her. Sam's job as Bella's wolf was to protect her physically, but also emotionally. He was _not_ going to let Harry Clearwater make Bella feel like she didn't belong in the pack, with Sam. Because she belonged right by his side.

"Let me pay for the pizza, Charlie," Billy insisted when Charlie passed him on his way to grab his wallet. "I didn't think to bring anything with me, and Sue brought that cheesy dip stuff."

Charlie huffed. "I don't want your money, Billy. I have more than a retired old man like you," he taunted his friend.

"At least I have more hair on my head than I do on my back," Billy shot back.

Bella laughed at the banter they exchanged. The sound floated into Sam's ears and for a moment, the tension in his body was released. His imprint's happiness would always be enough to melt away his hard exterior.

But as soon as Harry stood to make his way to the kitchen, Bella's smile faded and she squeezed Sam's hand tighter and the stress flooded right back into his muscles.

Sam assumed Bella would wait until Harry was out of the room before standing, but she surprised him by hoisting herself up from the couch, putting herself right in the old man's path. Harry stopped, just as surprised as Sam was. Bella looked down at Sam expectantly and he followed her like the little puppy he was.

Bella, though she feared Harry and what he might do, had just shown tremendous strength by challenging him in the simplest way. And though she did it unknowingly, she'd just shown her authority over him. As the Alpha's mate, a council member was to yield to her out of respect, and Bella had enforced that unintentionally.

Sam's lips turned up in a proud smile. Bella knew her place instinctively and wasn't going to let anyone take it from her.

Everyone stood around the kitchen table as Charlie sat the three pizza boxes down next to the plates and napkins. Jacob and Seth were opening the box before it even touched the table, their mouths salivating at the sight of the grease and cheese.

Charlie invited everyone to sit in the living room and eat.

"Oh, but Charlie, someone might make a mess," Sue worried. She shot a glance at her own son and watched him shove the equivalent of three bites into his mouth all at once. She sighed when a little sauce dripped onto his gray shirt.

Charlie huffed. "Naw, that's okay. We came here to watch a baseball game, right?" He elbowed Harry in the ribs. "Let's watch a baseball game."

Leah and Sue followed Seth and Jacob back into the living room as Bella and Sam moved to get their own meal. Harry eyed Charlie nervously for a moment before setting his gaze on Sam.

Sam ignored him. "Pepperoni or plain, baby?" he asked Bella.

Bella surveyed each option carefully before reaching for the plain cheese pizza. She had to lean over a little to reach it, and the wolf necklace that had been resting conspicuously over her heart dangled in mid-air.

When Harry noticed the little black wolf hanging around her neck, his judgmental eyes held a note of shock and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. His astonishment quickly morphed into loathing as he glared at Bella. He did not say anything until Charlie had retrieved a beer and rejoined the others in the other room. "What the hell are you doing with _that_ hanging around your neck?" he spat at her.

Immediately, Sam had her behind his back and pulled himself up to his full height, staring down intimidatingly at the old man. Deep down, he was satisfied. That was _exactly_ the reaction he'd been hoping for. He needed a reason to confront him. "Bella is an imprint," Sam snapped at him. "It is tradition that she wears a charm of her wolf – especially around other members of the pack and the council. Bella has accepted her place as the Alpha's female." Behind him, Sam heard Bella swallow nervously. He blindly reached a hand back towards her and she quickly entwined their fingers.

Harry sneered. "It is also _tradition_ for every member of the pack to imprint on a _member of the Reservation_. Not some paleface with no ancestry among the tribe."

Bella gasped, and Sam had already had enough. He growled lowly. "Are you challenging my imprint with Bella? Are you that foolish?"

"It can't be a _real_ imprint," Harry spat through his teeth. "She has no connection to our tribe! The Alpha of the werewolf pack must be with a female of Quileute blood."

Sam's lips pulled up over his teeth in a quiet snarl. "An imprint is _never_ wrong," he reminded him sourly. "That is what the legend says. Whoever a wolf imprints on is his _perfect_ match. And I imprinted on Bella."

"Leah is and will always be a better match for you than _she_ ever will be," the elder rumbled, jabbing an accusing finger in Bella's direction.

Sam looked down at his imprint to see tears glistening in her eyes. The confidence she'd exhibited not five minutes ago was completely replaced with self-doubt and humiliation. Sam could see it in her eyes – she believed him, she believed everything this man was saying. Everything Sam had said to her to make her understand that they belonged together, that they were meant to be, soulmates – Harry Clearwater had erased it all in a few sentences.

And Sam was _furious_.

But the original issue of the night came back into the picture when Charlie ambled back into the kitchen with an empty plate. "There's beer in the fridge, Harry," he said obliviously. "Help yourself."

Sam and Bella stepped back when Charlie reached for another piece of pizza. "Do you want something to drink?" Bella asked, tugging on Sam's hand to let him know she was speaking to him. Her voice was timid and weak, but Charlie didn't seem to notice. His eyes may as well have been pepperoni.

Sam nodded. "I'll take a beer."

Harry yanked the fridge open, still glaring at the couple behind Charlie's back. "Here ya go," he said, tossing a can not-so-carefully in their direction. It was obvious he was aiming to hit Bella, but Sam's quick reflexes allowed him to catch it before it could hit Bella in the face.

The living room erupted into cheering, signaling that their team had done something positive. "Shit," Charlie swore and bolted to catch the replay.

"This discussion isn't over," Harry hissed like the evil villain he was.

When he'd disappeared into the other room, Sam pressed Bella against the wall and leaned down close to her ear. His lips found her neck in a gentle kiss. "Don't listen to him," he begged. His hands found her hips and he pulled her closer so that every inch of her body was pressed against his. "You are _mine_ and I am yours. We belong together, Bella."

Bella sniffled and, to Sam's relief, wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know that I'm meant to be with you – I can feel it in my heart. But I'm not a member of the Rez, Sam. I might be meant for you, but I'm not meant to be a member of the pack."

Sam shook his head desperately. "No, you're wrong. You _are_ meant to be part of the pack. Don't you see it? You already _are_ one of the pack. You're already one of us."

Bella bit her lip.

Sam brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I love you, Bella," he whispered. "Don't ever doubt that. You belong with me."

Bella answered by pressing on the back of his neck until he leaned down for a kiss.

"Sam!" Jacob called, his voice muted by the wall that stood between them. "C'mon, you're missing the Mariners batting!"

Bella laughed. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Charlie had given him at least five bucks to say that.

* * *

 **Harry's gaze was** almost constantly locked on Sam and Bella for the next half an hour. A gaze that was really more of a glare. Bella tried to ignore him by striking up conversation with Jacob, but even as she looked up at Jake's face, she could feel Harry's eyes burning a hole in the side of her head.

Bella was sure she looked uncomfortable, but Charlie never noticed.

Of course not. The Mariners were playing in a baseball game.

At the top of the fifth inning, Harry stood. "I think I need to take my seventh inning stretch a little sooner," he chuckled. "I'm gonna get some fresh air for a minute."

Charlie barely noticed as Harry walked out of the room, but everyone else's eyes were stuck on him. When he reached the door, he gave his son a look Bella couldn't read before returning his attention to Sam. His eyes narrowed expectantly and his fists uncoiled and recoiled, as if he were making a threat.

Charlie _also_ barely noticed when an exhausted howl pierced the stomachs of everyone else in the room. All eyes immediately turned to Sam, who stared blankly at the TV screen in front of them. When Sam's silence lengthened, Billy followed the Alpha's lead and looked away before Charlie noticed their panicked expressions. Jacob and Seth, Bella could tell, wanted to phase and see what the issue was, but they wouldn't do so without Sam's orders.

So Bella wasn't surprised when Sam excused himself to use the restroom only two minutes after Harry had let the screen door close behind him. As he stood, Bella clutched at his forearm nervously. Was he going to deal with Harry, or with whatever had caused the wolves patrolling to give a distress signal?

Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead when Charlie wasn't looking. "I'll be right back," he whispered in her ear. That probably would have calmed Bella . . . if he hadn't given Jacob a stern look that said _don't you dare let anything happen to my imprint while I'm outside with the man whose trying to take away my power as the Alpha._

Bella watched, nauseated, as he jolted himself up the stairs. She wondered which window he would be using to exit.

Bella swallowed and Jake scooted closer now that he had his Alpha's permission to be close to his imprint. His arm wrapped around the back of the couch where Sam's had just been, except Jacob made sure there was no skin-on-skin contact. "Watch this guy's swing," her best friend ordered, pointing his finger at the screen.

Bella tried to focus on the stupid baseball game, but it was hard. She glanced over to Leah and found her watching her as well. The girls met each other's gaze evenly, and the sympathy in Leah's eyes made the knot in Bella's stomach loosen _just_ a little. Leah knew a lot about the pack, and she knew a lot about the relationship between Sam and Harry. If she wasn't worried about them confronting each other outside or the howl that had echoed around the room, then perhaps Bella could relax.

But Bella couldn't relax. Somehow she had completely lost control of her life, and she desperately wanted to get it back.

"It wasn't a distress howl," Jacob whispered in her ear. "It was an alert. It means Jared found another leech scent, but there's no immediate danger. The scent is probably a few days old. If there was any sign of the leech, he would have howled more than once to call us all into action." He rubbed Bella's arm reassuringly. "You can relax. If there were any danger, we'd all be phased by now."

* * *

 **Harry was leaning** against the side of the Swans' house when Sam turned the corner. The sight of him standing there, so casual and calm, brought all of Sam's fury up to the surface.

The sun had gone down about two hours earlier, so the night had solidly settled in around them. They were only illuminated by the street lights that lit up the road. Above them, it was an almost starless night, but the moon was glowing brightly. How ironic, Sam thought, for a pack of werewolves.

When Harry heard the other man approach, he looked up. "It's another leech." It wasn't a question.

Sam nodded. "Sounds like it. I won't know until I talk with Jared. He wasn't calling for backup, only alerting us that he found another scent. He was putting us on guard."

"You never briefed me on what went down the other night, either," the old man complained. A cigarette butt glowed in his hand as he lifted it to his mouth. "It's your duty to keep the council informed of what's happening around the Reservation."

"No, it's not," Sam snapped. "But for your information, I described the events of that night to Billy Black."

His eyes snapped to Sam's face in surprise. "And why was I not included?" he yelled.

"Because I don't answer to you," Sam responded simply. He knew the calmness of his expression would anger Harry the most.

And it did. The old man pushed away from the wall and fisted his hands at his sides. "Without the council, the pack is nothing."

Sam laughed mockingly. "What world are you living in?" he demanded. "Without the pack, there is no _reason_ for the council to exist!" He leaned in closer menacingly. "The council gets all of its power from the pack. Do you know what that means?" He paused, and when Harry stood there steaming and silent, he continued, "The council members will never have more power than the wolves. _Ever_."

"You bastard," Harry spat. "The council has all the knowledge! We are the _glue_ that keeps the pack together and functioning!"

Sam felt a smirk pull at his lips. Slowly he began to take small steps forward, closing the gap between them. His expression was thunderous, but apparently it wasn't enough to make Harry back down. Deep inside him, Sam felt his wolf begin to claw at the man, wanting to take over and make him phase. His bones tightened with the familiar ache that they always got as they were preparing to morph into the animal's structure, but he couldn't phase. Not now. So he closed his eyes and allowed his attention to drift into the house, to Bella. He focused on her heartbeat, a steady and rhythmic pounding in his ears. He heard her giggle as Seth said something funny to the entire room. He heard her sigh nervously, probably worrying for Sam. In Bella, Sam always found strength. He opened his eyes and glowered down at Harry. "You're wrong," he stated. "The _imprints_ are the glue that keeps the pack functioning."

Harry chuckled. "And we're back to that, huh? You think you've got something special? With that little girl in there?" He shook his head. "She's a child, Sam."

"She's my soulmate," Sam snarled. "I suggest you watch your words."

"You should be with Leah."

"No," Sam laughed, "I shouldn't."

Harry shook his head. "The Alpha needs to mate with a strong female!" he yelled. "A strong female of the Reservation! The Alpha needs to mate with a woman who can produce a child of Quileute blood! It's your responsibility to keep the tribe alive and strong! You need to mate with the strongest female in the _tribe_ , Samuel Uley, not some pale-faced teenage girl who will never be happy living on the Reservation!"

Both men stood in silence after that outburst, shocked at the explosion of words that had just left the elder's mouth. The wolf inside Sam was absolutely furious now, itching for a chance to sink its claws into Harry. He had _insulted_ his imprint. _Degraded_ his imprint. Made her position seem unimportant. That would not stand. When Sam finally spoke, his voice was strong. "Bella is a legal adult in a few weeks. She'll graduate in the spring. Bella can and will do everything that a woman from the tribe would do." He paused. "Everything that _Leah_ could do."

"Your pups won't be pure!" Harry sputtered.

Sam shook his head. "No. They won't be. But they'll still be _mine_ , just like Bella is. And my sons will still carry the wolf gene in their blood."

Harry opened his mouth to fight back, but when his eyes darted around as if he were searching for something to say, Sam realized he'd run out of arguments.

So Sam decided it was time for him to officially take over the conversation.

"You know what I think?" Sam said. "I think you're making excuses. You're trying to explain your reasons for wanting Leah and I together by saying it's for the good of the tribe." Sam shook his head, chuckling. "But that's not why. You don't want me to be with Bella, not because she's not a born member of the tribe, but because you don't want someone else to have the power that is automatically given to the Alpha's mate. I think you're jealous because you know that the Alpha's mate has more power than any council member will _ever_ have. More power than _you_ will ever have. Bella's place in the pack is vital for the pack's survival, and you _hate_ that."

Harry started to speak, but Sam cut him off by placing a hand on the old man's shoulder and pushing him backwards.

"You don't want me to be with Leah because you want what's best for your daughter," Sam yelled. He wasn't going to back away until Harry admitted it. The excuses would stop here. "You want me to be with her so you can have the authority that her position would bring your family!"

Harry glared up at Sam balefully. "She is not a member of the Reservation," he repeated. "She does not belong at the side of our Alpha. She does not _deserve_ the power that comes with being the Alpha's mate! That authority should be _mine_!"

And there it was – finally out in the open. Fury bubbled up in Sam's chest and his fist was connecting with Harry's jaw before he realize what he was doing. Still, as the old man stumbled backwards and clutched at his bleeding lip, Sam didn't feel remorse for the punch. He let out a savage growl and stalked over to him, lifting the elder by his shirt and pinning him against the side of the house. Harry's head cracked against the panel and he groaned, but Sam didn't let up. "You _dare_ to disrespect my imprint," he snarled in his face. "You challenge her place at the top of this pack. You _insult_ her." He reached up to wrap a hand around the base of Harry's neck without thinking and squeezed. "You should die for your blasphemous actions."

Harry choked and gargled. Sam watched as his eyes glazed over and his cheeks turned from a flushed pink to a dangerous blue. The old man didn't struggle. He knew there was nothing he could do to fight Sam off.

Sam finally saw the panic and fear in Harry's eyes that he'd always wanted to see. Finally he'd broken the elder's confidence and shown him his true place in the Reservation – hopelessly far below Sam. Sam had proved that his strength was far superior.

But most importantly, as his eyes grew more lifeless each second, Sam saw something he'd wanted to see even more.

Defeat.

Harry was defeated. Overpowered. Conquered.

Sam had won.

At that realization, he released the old man's neck and watched him drop to his knees, gasping desperately for breath. Harry clutched at his neck as his chest heaved urgently, trying to make up for the oxygen that he hadn't been able to receive just moments previously.

"I'm not going to kill you," Sam spoke. Now, more in control of his anger, his voice rang out clear and powerful. "Bella does not deserve to love a murderer, and Seth does not deserve to bury his father before he even graduates high school." He stooped to crouch right next to him on the ground and leaned his face close to his ear. "But make no mistake. If you continue to challenge my imprint's place as the Alpha's mate, you will not live to see Seth receive his diploma. You will not live to walk Leah down the aisle at her wedding. You will not live to celebrate your fiftieth wedding anniversary with your wife. I promise you – if you _ever_ challenge Bella as my imprint again, you will die."

And with that, Sam stood and made his way towards the back door. "Bella made chocolate chip cookies," he called casually over his shoulder. "You really should try them – they're delicious. And by that I mean, you will come inside and act as if nothing happened. And you will tell Bella that they are the best cookies you have ever tasted." Sam turned to glare at him one more time. "But if you touch her, I'll break your hand."

* * *

 **Bella was chatting** with Jacob and Seth when Sam reappeared in the kitchen a few minutes after leaving. She knew he hadn't gone to the bathroom like he'd said he was going to.

Acting on instinct, both Jacob and Seth backed away from Bella as Sam entered the room. Sam was still emanating an aura of tension and authority, and naturally the two wolves wouldn't want to be caught too close to the Alpha's mate.

Sam's eyes found her immediately and softened. A moment later, she was wrapped under his arm again. He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled her scent deeply.

Making sure Charlie wasn't looking, she pressed her palm into his cheek and drew his attention down to her. "What happened?" she demanded in a whisper. Behind him, Jacob and Seth both stared blankly at the ground. Their hands were clasped in front of them as they leaned against the counter. Bella knew enough to know that they were submitting to their Alpha, and she wanted to know why.

Sam shook his head and glanced at Charlie. "Not here," he said in her ear. "Tomorrow we will go to the Blacks' house and I'll explain everything. Billy needs to hear it as well. The pack needs to gather."

Bella bit her lip but decided to accept that. "And what about that howl? Was it an alert?"

Sam hesitated, synchronizing her face carefully. He didn't want to panic her, knowing that she was worried already, but she deserved to know what was going on. He nodded. "Jared caught the scent of another vampire down by the river where we first saw the female." He brushed his thumb against her wavering bottom lip. "It's not something you should worry about right now."

"Of course it is," she gasped. Her eyelashes dampened with the panicked tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.

Sam bent to press his lips to hers once, quickly, so that Charlie wouldn't notice. "Don't think about it right now. You're safe. I'm not leaving you alone until we catch it." He looked deep into her eyes, passionately and intensely. "I will _not_ let anything hurt you."

Sam knew that his problems with Harry weren't quite over yet. He wasn't just going to submit to Sam after one confrontation, even though it had almost costed him his life. But for now, he was dealt with and Sam could cast him aside. His focus needed to be on this new vampire now. He needed to figure out where they were all coming from – Were they all connected? Did they all want the same thing? – because now Bella's safety was in question _again_. The first two leeches had wanted Bella dead, to weaken the Alpha and therefore the entire pack.

Sam knew that these leeches wanted to end the werewolf line in La Push permanently. But he was _not_ going to let that happen.

* * *

 **Once again, thank you all so much for the fantastic feedback! I am so grateful for each and every one of you taking this journey with me.**

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 **Oh, and one more thing: I mentioned at the end of Chapter Eleven that I was going to be posting a one-shot this week as well. I didn't expect to put soooo much time into this chapter, so unfortunately that one-shot isn't finished yet, but it's almost ready for you all, so please keep a look out on my profile for it to appear!**

 **Thanks again for reading.**

 **See you in Chapter Thirteen.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Believe it or not, I actually finished this chapter ahead of schedule, but when I got on to post it, Fanfiction would not let me sign in, so unfortunately, that meant you all had to wait. I blame the Internet.**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Bella felt like an alien in her own high school.

Of course, when a girl spends more of her time outside school walls hiding from vampires and hosting parties for werewolf packs, it's bound to make normal, every-day social situations a bit more of a challenge. Like sitting in her Advanced Placement Biology class, for example.

It didn't help that it was a beautiful day outside. The sun was gleaming through the window and illuminating her desk perfectly, mocking her. Mr. Banner had a window open right next to her, so her lungs were sucking in as much fresh air as she could before the hour was over. A cheery bird was obviously happy to finally have a nice day to perform his song for everyone because he certainly was going to town.

It was the first sunny day in weeks, and Bella was stuck inside studying cell diagrams and plasma.

Not that she was paying any attention to Mr. Banner's lecture. No – her mind was outside, wandering to the woods that stood about half a mile away from the school where she knew at least one werewolf was standing, watching over her. Bella's body may as well have been outside, stumbling around the trees, because she sure as hell wasn't concentrating. Sure, every now and then, he'd say a word that rhymed with her name, and that was enough to yank Bella's mind into the room – like _salmonella_.

When he called on a girl behind her named Arabella, Bella had enough of a heart attack to keep herself focused on the class. There was nothing that humiliated her more than being called on by the teacher who knew that she didn't have the answer because she hadn't been paying attention.

Unfortunately, her attention barely lasted until lunchtime. She sat silently at the table, nibbling at her chicken salad sandwich, while Jessica Stanley chatted nonstop in her ear about how successful her relationship with Mike Newton was so far. Angela Weber, sitting on her other side, carried on most of the conversation for Bella. Angela was a true friend; she seemed to sense that Bella was distracted and didn't hesitate to keep Jessica from questioning her about it.

Bella couldn't stop thinking about Sam.

Or, more specifically, Sam fighting vampires who wanted to kill her.

The thought squeezed Bella's stomach into a knot. If there was anything she couldn't stand, it was the thought of Sam being in danger. And Bella's being stuck in this stupid school all day long meant she had no idea what was going on outside. For all she knew, the pack was chasing down a bloodsucking demon as she sat idle in the Forks High School cafeteria.

Bella was beginning to realize she'd _really_ taken the impromptu school cancellations for granted.

Jessica tapped Bella on the shoulder. "So, they're having a _huge_ sale at Tina's in Port Angeles this Saturday."

Bella looked up from her half-eaten apple and blinked. "Oh, really?" She tried to sound interested, but she was her tone gave away the fact that she hadn't been listening for a good ten minutes.

If it did, Jessica continued as if she hadn't noticed. "I think we should all go out there and check out the sundresses." She sighed. "They always have the _cutest_ sundresses."

Angela leaned forward and peered at Jessica around Bella's shoulder. "Jessica, it's September. And we live in Washington. Sundress weather is pretty much over. We should be looking at boots and sweaters."

Bella nodded. "I actually _do_ need new sweaters! My dad decided he wanted to help me with the laundry." She shook her head at the memory of pulling the shriveled-up, shrunken mess of fabric out of the dryer. Her sweaters were made for the _washer_ , not the dryer, and needed to be hung up on a line outside to air-dry. Not that Charlie was aware of that. "They're hopelessly ruined."

Jessica let out a grunt of annoyance, then shot a quick glance at Mike to make sure he hadn't heard her very unladylike behavior. After seeing him completely engrossed in his conversation with Eric, she bit her lip in relief. "I _know_ it's not sundress season. You have to buy them _now_ so you have them for next year!"

Bella wrinkled her nose. "I'm not really sure I have the extra money to buy things I'm not going to wear for six months," she said. "I need to buy the clothes I need for this season before I worry about next season."

Angela nodded her agreement, and Jessica rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You two can go to the winter section, and when summer comes and _I_ have a lot of cute sundresses and _you're_ spending all your money on ones that aren't nearly as cute as mine, you'll be sorry you didn't listen to me."

 _We can't all have rich fathers who give us a three-digit number as a monthly allowance_ , Bella thought. One glance at Angela told her she was thinking the same thing.

"So are we going or not?" Jessica demanded.

Bella's thoughts drifted to Sam. She wasn't about to go and ask him for _permission_ to go out with her friends, because she didn't need it. But was going out to Port Angeles at _night_ while there were evil vampires roaming around trying to kill her a wise move? She needed to at least ask him if he thought she would be safe. Perhaps he could come with her . . . "I'll have to check with Charlie tonight," she said aloud.

Jessica nodded and turned to Angela, who shrugged. "I guess I'll ask my parents, too."

Satisfied, Jessica's face brightened into a smile and she clapped her hands enthusiastically.

* * *

 **When the final** bell rang at the end of Seventh Hour, Quil was waiting for Bella in the student parking lot. He was leaning casually against the hood of her truck, his hands stuffed into his pockets. His hair was blown in odd directions, hinting that he'd been phased as he ran over there. He _was_ fully clothed – to Bella's surprise – but his tank top didn't leave much to the imagination. Bella had to chuckle a little as group after group of teenage girls that gawked and flirted with him as they passed by on the sidewalk. He offered them kind smiles and gentle head nods. To the girls he was particularly interested in, he winked.

Bella said goodbye to Angela and waved to Mike and Eric across the lot as she went her own way. "You're pretty smooth with the ladies," she called as she got closer to Quil.

Quil grinned sheepishly. "I'm not trying to be."

Bella smiled. "That's exactly why all those girls are interested," she said, gesturing in the girls' direction. "You're not hitting on them, and you're not acting like an asshole who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread."

Quil made a face. "That's not a phrase that most modern-day seventeen-year-old girls say."

"I've never been much of a _modern_ teenage girl," Bella mumbled, rolling her eyes. "You're just being yourself, Quil. Girls like an honest, kind, genuine guy. And you're hot, so that's just icing on the cake."

She stepped down over the curb and nudged him out of her way with her elbow. She opened the door and pretended she didn't hear its loud squeal of protest. Once she was settled behind the wheel, she looked at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you go to school? Like ever?"

Quil smirked. "Don't be jealous." He launched himself over to the other side of her truck, sliding his butt across its hood. A few guys walking past stopped to salute him. He was inside the truck before any of them could really get his attention. "I turn into a giant wolf and run around the woods at all hours of the night. I think I deserve lenient school hours. And I'm here on Sam's orders – to bring you to our pack gathering on the Rez."

Bella shook her head. "You don't even see it, do you? You impress people. You're a people person." She nodded towards the boys who were still shooting impressed glances towards them. "Those guys _wish_ they could do what you just did and look as cool doing it."

Quil shrugged and changed the subject. "C'mon, if we don't get going, Sam will have my head."

"Why didn't Sam just tell me where to meet you all instead of sending you all the way out here to get me?" Bella asked. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and checked for messages from him, but the only thing that lit up her screen was a text from Charlie asking about dinner. She slid it into her purse and started the truck.

"We're not meeting anywhere you've been before. You need directions," Quil responded. He reached out and immediately began to fiddle with the radio stations and the volume. Bella almost commented, but decided she needed to pick her battles wisely.

"Then where are we going?"

"Just go like you're going to Jake's house."

Bella bit her lip. "Why didn't Sam say anything about this meeting to me this morning?" She pictured his face that morning as she'd told him goodbye, remembering the steamy kiss he'd given her as she walked out the door. She'd hoped he would call her at lunch, but her cell had remained perfectly silent the entire meal. The entire school day was just far too long for her to be away from him, and she was longing to run her fingers through his hair again.

She shook her head of the thoughts and focused on exiting the school parking lot.

"Because we only just decided to _have_ the meeting this afternoon when we were changing shifts for patrol," he told her. He settled on a station and leaned back in his seat, watching out the window. "And it's not really a _meeting_ so much as a _get together_. It's pleasure, not business."

Bella's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really?" Her mind went reeling. Had something changed with the vampire situation that made it less dire, less hazardous? What had she missed while she was stuck in school?

"We've all been working ourselves to the point of exhaustion and worrying twenty-four-seven. Paul suggested that we have a little fun this evening, and we all thought it was a great idea." He shrugged. "We're still going to have someone on patrol, but we're gonna swap out a few times so we all get a break. Seth's out there right now."

They rode in silence for a few minutes, until Quil spoke up again. "Park at Jake's. We can walk from there."

Bella nodded. "I don't suppose you'll tell me –"

"Nope." Quil simpered. "Sam's surprise, not mine."

Bella pouted and parked next to Jacob's Rabbit. "Don't you know me at all, Quil?" she complained. "I hate surprises!"

"I think you'll like this one."

* * *

 **Quil lead Bella** to a path through the woods. It wasn't a marked path per se; it appeared to have been formed by the boys repeatedly walking over the grass and trampling it down to the mud. They walked in silence, Quil keeping a no-touching distance between them, for about a minute before Bella heard the tell-tale sounds of a pack gathering – hoots and hollers, laughs and claps.

Bella felt her eyebrows pull together in confusion when she heard someone let out a loud "Woo-hoo!" It was traveling away from her somehow, getting quieter as he continued. Bella shot a questioning look at Quil, but he didn't give anything away.

Finally, the trees opened up to an open circle, where the pack had gathered. It was a cliff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and La Push Beach. Bella had never seen the land from that point of view, but she was impressed with the true natural beauty of the Reservation.

It was certainly a party.

The boys were rambunctiously running about, as usual. The first two she saw were Paul and Embry, who were wrestling just outside the tree line. Embry appeared to be losing. Badly. So Quil immediately left Bella's side to go help his best friend.

Jared and Kim were lounging in the grass a safe distance away. He was leaning back on his elbows so she could rest against his chest. She reached her lips up to press them lovingly against his jaw. He grinned down at her and wrapped her tighter in his arms. Bella wondered if she and Sam looked as cute as those two did.

There was a make-shift table that was really a tree stub holding multiple bags of chips and bowls with various kinds of dips. Next to it was a cooler full of drinks, both alcoholic and not.

It had a breathtaking view. The sky was a gorgeous blue color and the few clouds that inhabited it were fluffy and classic. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping all around them. It was a perfect day for an outside party.

"Bella!" Jacob tried to call her attention, but when Bella turned her head to look at him, her eyes landed on Sam and she couldn't look away.

He was standing right next to Jake, but the light of the sun was only touching him. The sunshine hit his face perfectly, brightening his eyes and illuminating his skin. He wore no shirt, Bella noticed happily. His bare abs were glistening and his hair was damp, sticking up in random places. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his shorts, which were also damp.

Bella looked up to find him watching her, a happy smile on his face. When she blinked at him, he opened his arms wide like he was waiting for her to step into them.

She ran.

He was laughing by the time she threw her arms around his neck. He pressed his lips to her temple. "Hi, baby," he murmured. "Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

"Yes," Bella said desperately into his throat. "More than I expected. I worried about you all day long, with those vampires and –"

"Hey, hey, no vampire talk," Jacob said somewhere to her left. "This is our stay-cation. We're off duty, so now talk of werewolves and vampires and zombies, okay?"

Bella shot him a glare. "Zombies. Right."

"I'm fine, Bella," Sam promised her, ignoring his Beta. "The leeches won't ever come out in the day. They wouldn't risk exposure." That did little to calm Bella's nerves, but she didn't say so. He bent to murmur in her ear. "Quil didn't tell you what we're doing here, did he?" The roughness of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

Bella shook her head.

Sam's face broke into a cheeky grin. "C'mon, I'll show you." He entwined their hands and pulled her along behind him.

Bella sent Jacob a confused glance over her shoulder, but he just gave her a knowing smile.

Sam towed them directly towards the cliff. As they got close enough for Bella to see the water, he rested his hands on her hips, almost as if he was making sure she didn't fall over the edge.

Please. As if she was going to get close enough that something like _that_ could actually happen.

"Hey, Seth," Sam called. "C'mere and show Bella our favorite pass-time."

"Don't let them talk you into anything, Bella," Kim yelled from Jared's lap. "Don't do anything you don't want to do!"

"What's she talking about?" Bella demanded, watching Seth warily as he pranced over to them. He squinted at the cliff's edge and gave Bella a wink.

Bella screamed when he catapulted himself off of the edge without a moment of hesitation.

And then he was gone.

Over the edge, falling, falling, falling down into the water with a howl of laughter.

Sam pressed his chest into Bella's back and held her hips when she tried to get closer to peer over and watch. She whipped her head around to pierce Sam with her wide-eyed panic. "What the hell?" she squeaked.

Sam threw his head back and laughed. "It's perfectly safe, I promise. We've been doing it ever since we were kids. You know – BW."

Bella lifted her chin.

"Before the Wolf," Jacob explained, popping up beside her. "C'mon, Bella – don't think and overanalyze like you _always_ do. Just walk up to the edge and jump!"

Collin and Brady appeared to her right side, shoving each other playfully towards the edge. When they got close enough, Collin lunged forward and sent Brady tumbling over the edge. He paused a moment before he followed himself with much more grace than his best friend.

Bella squealed. "Oh, my God," she gasped, peaking over the edge. She watched their bodies get smaller and smaller before a giant splash of water exploded around them.

"Why on _earth_ are you doing this?" Bella yelled.

Sam nudged his nose affectionately against her jaw as he hugged her from behind. "Believe it or not, it's fun. And it's completely safe, Bella. You know I wouldn't ever let you be in any danger, let alone put you in danger myself." He kissed her. "This is something that the entire pack enjoys, and we need some relaxation time. It'll be good for us."

Bella glanced at the cliff again. "I don't have to jump, do I? I mean, it's all fine and dandy if the supernatural werewolves want to jump over a cliff, but I am a very small, very _human_ girl who doesn't want to die anytime soon."

Sam winked at her. "You're right about you being small and human, that's for sure. And no, you don't _have_ to jump." He looked down at the ground sheepishly. "I was just hoping you'd do it with me."

" _With_ you?"

Sam nodded.

"And it's safe?"

He frowned. "Bella, you _know_ I would never let you get hurt."

She reached up to run her fingers through is damp, shaggy hair. "You've already jumped a few times, haven't you?"

He nodded, eyes twinkling in delight. "The water is the perfect temperature because it rained last night. Rain always makes the water warmer." He glanced out into the distance at the shining sun. "It's a perfect day for cliff diving."

"Cliff diving," she moaned. "Oh, my God. I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this."

" _I'm_ not talking you into anything," he reminded her. " _You're_ talking _yourself_ into it."

Bella bit her lip. "Okay," she relented. "I guess I could . . . _try_ it, just once, but if I don't like it, I'm not doing it a second time."

Sam's face broke into a giant smile and started nudging her forward.

"Wait, wait," she hollered. "I don't have my swim suit!" She was still wearing her school clothes, obviously, having not had time to go home yet. She'd worn a pair of jean capris and a cotton tank top that she really didn't want to get ruined by the salt water that foamed below them. "I can't jump and ruin these clothes."

Sam stared at her thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that," he mumbled, suddenly disappointed. Seeing the frown on his perfect face made Bella's heart sink; she wanted to make him happy. She felt like whatever would make _him_ happy would make _her_ happy. She'd spoken with Kim about that, and they'd decided it was another imprint thing.

"Lucky for you," Kim called as she skipped over to them with Jared in tow, "I thought ahead _for_ you." She thrusted a pink and purple swim suit into Bella's hands. "You can borrow one of mine, since your imprint wasn't nice enough to give you a warning to bring one. We look about the same size, so you should be good."

"Thank you," Bella said, and then she realized something. "Wait a minute. _You_ got to know what we were doing on the cliff and _I_ had to wait until I got here to find out?" Bella complained. She shot Sam an annoyed look.

He just grinned patiently. "That was Jared's choice. I wanted to surprise you."

"But you know I don't like surprises," Bella reminded him, confused as to why he would think a surprise for a girl who liked to plan her entire life out would be a good idea.

He nodded. "I know that. But I'm trying to break you out of your habits." He made a general gesture to the air around them. "And look at you! You were faced with the unexpected, and you didn't even throw a fit."

Bella, to be honest, hadn't realized that. She smiled. Sam was definitely changing her for the better. "I guess so," she mumbled.

* * *

 **"So how does** this work? What do we do?" Bella asked. After a nice, leisurely walk with Sam back to Jacob's house so she could change into her borrowed bathing suit, she was once again perched at the edge of the cliff.

Bella never thought she'd say that and have it not be a metaphor, but there she was, squinting down at the crashing waves far, far below her. She bit her lip. "It looks . . . kinda violent down there," she pointed out hesitantly.

Sam shrugged. "It's a little rough, but that's why I'm jumping before you. I'll be able to grab you and make sure you don't get pulled under too far."  
"That's a possibility?" she squeaked.

Jacob scoffed. "C'mon, Bells. Don't back out now." He stood next to her with his arms crossed over his bare chest, an intimidating presence.

Bella sighed. "Alright. Let's do this."

"You're good?" Sam checked. "You're okay with this?" His wide, excited eyes made up his entire face.

Bella reached up to brush her thumb against his jaw affectionately. She looked up at him shyly from under her eyelashes. "I can't disappoint such a face."

"Jacob will tell you when to jump," he told her. He glanced up at Jake to confirm, who nodded in agreement. Sam leaned down to press a kiss to Bella's lips. Before Bella could really respond, his tongue was pushing past her lips and tangling with hers. His hands pressed against both of her cheeks, trapping her face in his grip. It was passionate and sexy, and Bella knew exactly why; Sam knew he was leaving his mate with his Beta on the edge of a cliff, and he was marking his territory.

When he pulled back, he pressed one more kiss to her forehead.

And then he disappeared.

Bella swallowed back a squeal.

Jacob threw his arm over her shoulder, enveloping her in his warmth. It was a little too warm out for an embrace, but she couldn't exactly complain. After all, she'd just spent a huge amount of time in Sam's arms, and the two men were obviously the same temperature. She didn't want to hurt Jake's feelings.

"So, you and Sam, huh?" he began conversationally.

Bella blinked. "Yeah, I guess so. It's weird, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I mean, you just introduced us like, a month ago. And now . . ." _We're in love,_ she thought but couldn't say.

Jacob filled in the blank, though. He nodded. "I'm happy for you guys," he admitted. He wouldn't look down to meet Bella's gaze, so she could tell he wasn't comfortable with their topic of conversation, but they both knew they needed to talk and get everything out in the open. "An imprint is a big deal. Being the _Alpha's_ imprint is an even bigger deal. You'll be safe now – he can protect you from things you can't protect yourself from." He grinned. "And by that, I mean he can send _us_ – the rest of the pack – to protect you. But either way, you're safe. And you deserve the position."

"The position," Bella repeated bitterly. "I don't think everyone on the Rez feels that way."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about Harry Clearwater. He's got about as much control over this pack than that tree Paul is pissing on right now." He gestured to his pack mate, who indeed was peeing very publicly against a tree. Paul's back was to them, but he obviously could still hear Jacob's comment. He lifted his free hand to flash his middle finger at Jacob without turning around. Jacob laughed. "Back at you, bastard!"

Bella shook her head. "You guys are horrible."

Jacob sobered and stared down at her earnestly. He pulled her closer into his side so he could rest his chin on the top of her head. "But in all seriousness, I think you really are perfect for each other. I didn't – um – think that at the beginning." He looked sheepishly down at his shoes. "But I'm sure you knew I . . . um . . . sort of had a thing for you for a while."

Bella thought about playing dumb, but decided she needed to be adult about this. "Yeah, Jake. I know. And I want you to know that you'll always be my best friend. My being with Sam doesn't change that at all."

" _Other_ than the fact that you're my Alpha's mate and I have to watch my every move with you because he'll snap me in half if he doesn't like something I do."

Bella bit her lip. "Yeah, there's that."

Jake stared out into the sun, squinting. "I just wanted you to know that we're cool, and your being with him doesn't bother me anymore. I accepted it, and I'm happy for you. I can see that you love him already, after such a short time, and I'm glad he makes you happy. You deserve that, Bella. You should be with someone who makes you as happy as I just saw you." He leaned down like he was going to kiss her forehead like he'd always done before he'd introduced her to the pack, but halfway through the action, he seemed to realize that perhaps kissing her would be a bad idea and pulled back. "You're like my little sister now, Bells."

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "But I'm two years older than you." She was being playful and lighthearted with him, but deep down, she was relieved. She'd been wondering what Jacob truly thought of her being with Sam, and it was a weight lifted from her shoulders to know that her best friend was pleased with her new relationship.

Jacob smirked. "I say 'little' to refer to your size, not your age, genius. I'm looking _down_ at you right now, aren't I? You're _way_ small, Bella."

"That's not very nice to point out."

"You'll get over it." He stepped back and nodded towards the cliff. "You'd better get jumping. He'll be getting antsy down there, and if I know him, he'll be up here in two minutes if you don't get down there soon."

Bella tried to see Sam treading water down below. She saw the general shape of his body but the cliff was too high up to see the expression on his face. Bella looked at Jacob once more. "I'm glad we're good, Jake. And I hope you find someone who makes you happy, too."

He hesitated. "Seeing how great things are going for you, Sam, Jared, and Kim kind of made me want to hold off on relationships for a while. I want to give myself some time to find my own imprint." He shrugged. "I know not every wolf in history has imprinted, but I don't want to be in a relationship when that happens. Not like Sam, you know? I'm sure that caused some tension for the two of you."

Bella's heart stopped. "What?"

His brow furrowed. "You know – with Leah."

"Sam said they just went on one date," Bella whispered.

"Well, they only went out once," he told her, "but before that, Sam hung out at her house a lot. You know – at night."

 _Oh my God_. He'd had sex with her. Sam had slept with Leah.

Jacob didn't come right out and say it, but she knew that's what he was implying. Sam and Leah had been friends with benefits.

"Oh my God," she gasped, feeling all of the life drain out of her body. She stumbled, suddenly unbalanced, and Jacob's arms shot out to catch her. "Oh, my God," she repeated.

"Bella?" Jake asked, panicked. "What's wrong?" He didn't know what he'd just revealed to her.

"Oh, my God." Bella swallowed deeply. "He's _been_ with her! He _slept_ with her?" She felt tears start to prickle her eyes.

Understanding dawned in Jacob's eyes. "Oh, no," he murmured, "you didn't know?"

Bella sobbed and grasped onto his shoulders for support. "H-he just . . . t-told me that they went o-out to dinner one time but he never wanted to _date_ her."

"Jacob."

They both turned to look at Embry and Quil, who were standing side by side with their arms crossed over their chests – an offensive stance. Embry's voice was a reprimand for Jake. Their message was clear – Jacob was to let the subject drop. It was probably a previous order from their Alpha that Jacob had just broken.

Bella hadn't noticed, but the entire group was now silent and staring at them, probably shocked at the turn the conversation had taken. Jared had Kim wrapped tightly in his arms again. Paul was finished soiling the tree and was watching them intently.

Bella couldn't even _think_ about jumping of a freaking cliff into his waiting arms. The thought made her sick. So she acted on instinct and straightened, hastily wiping the tears from her face. "I'm going home," she said defiantly. "Walk me to my truck?"

Jacob's eyes widened. Bella realized she'd just asked him to openly defy his Alpha. But Bella had been told _over_ and _over_ again that she had power, too – and now she was going to use it. "You wouldn't want me to trip and get injured on my way, would you? Or get lost?"

Jacob bit his lip. "Bella – I didn't know he never told you," he whispered.

"I know," she breathed, "but I'm glad you told me. _Someone_ should have – I deserve to know that." She pulled on Jacob's hand. "C'mon – I just need to go home right now." She sniffled, feeling hot tears still trickling down her cheeks even though her sobs had stopped.

"Wait, Bella." It was Paul who stood in their way. "You can't just leave. Wait for Sam to come back."

Bella marched herself right up to the governing werewolf and crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. She glared at him, piercing him with her unyielding gaze. "You will _not_ keep me from doing what I want to do. I am an imprint, not a slave. Samuel Uley does _not_ own me and he never will. I make my own choices and _I will not_ listen to _you_."

Paul stared blankly at her for a moment, thinking, before ultimately deciding that she was right – he really couldn't keep her there. He stepped aside without an argument – surprisingly enough – and Bella and Jacob walked right past him.

"Can I give you your suit back another day?" she asked Kim as she passed.

Kim, whose eyes were full of sympathy and sorrow, nodded reached out to pat Bella's arm supportively. "Of course. Just text me or something, and we can get together and hang out."

Bella nodded. She glanced at Jared. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you all to deal with the wrath I know he'll unleash on you, but I just – I can't . . . I need to –"

Jared nodded. "I know. We'll be fine."

With that, Bella let Jake lead her to the path that would return her to her truck. She managed to keep the tears at bay until she unlocked the door. She pulled her shorts and tank top on over the swim suit.

Jacob hesitated as she climbed into the driver's seat. "You're okay to drive, Bella?"

She nodded weakly.

"Bella – don't shut him out," Jacob pleaded. "I realize that he should have told you he's . . . been with Leah, but you can't leave him because of that. Believe me. I've seen inside his head. I know exactly how he thinks about you, _and_ about Leah. I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't think he truly loves you." He pleaded with her with his eyes. "He does, Bella. He loves you more than anything. He hadn't been with her at all since the day he first met you."

Bella was crying again, but Jake didn't touch her. Deep down, he knew she needed to comfort herself. Bella was retreating back into the shell Sam had worked so hard to break her out of. "I love him, too, Jacob. That's not going to change. But he made a mistake, and he has to learn from it. This might not be a normal relationship, but he is certainly going to treat it that way." She lifted her chin. "He has to respect me if this is going to work. He has to learn that."

"Are you leaving him?"

"No," she whispered. "I'm not. That would hurt us _both_." She shook her head. "But I can't just . . . pretend it's nothing that he's slept with her. Because it's not – not when her father is trying to desperately to get them together. And he lied to me. He told me nothing had ever happened between them, and obviously that's not true."

"What do I tell him when he realizes you're gone?"

She gave a humorless laugh. "Tell him he screwed up. And he'd better come groveling."

* * *

 **Yikes. I have to be honest, that chapter ending hurt me a little. But every relationship has its ups and downs, and Bella and Sam are no different. Keep in mind that I do promise a happy ending.**

 **So what did you think? Were you expecting that? Was it a shock? Are you angry? Sad? What did you think of Bella's reaction? Give me your thoughts!**

 **Thank you all once again for the wonderful reviews! Please, please, please keep them coming! I run on your feedback.**

 **ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **See you in Chapter Fourteen.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

It was easier for Bella to ignore the pounding echoing off of her front door this time. The last time Sam Uley had stood outside her small front porch, desperately banging on the wood as he tried to get her attention and gain entry, Bella had been in a state of shock after just witnessing her best friend explode into a giant wolf in front of her eyes. The last time, she hadn't been running from _Sam_ ; she'd been running from the werewolves.

This time, she was running from Sam.

Well, not _running_ from him, per se. But Samuel Uley was definitely the problem.

And Bella had other problems that needed her attention more. Problems that currently resided in a math book. Bella needed to get herself more focused on her schoolwork and less focused on relationship drama. Sam and the pack had taken over her life lately, and just a day before she hadn't thought anything of it. Now, things were different. Sam had some groveling to do, and Bella had homework, so his groveling would have to wait.

Bella blinked down at her Calculus textbook and copied the next equation into her notebook so she could begin to solve it. Her eyebrows pulled together as she squinted down at her handwriting. Calculus was _not_ her best subject, and the constant drumming against the front door wasn't helping with her concentration.

Bella was sure no human being could make as much noise as a werewolf could.

Eventually, Bella finished with the math and moved on to English. It was a creative writing assignment, and Bella's thought process was being challenged. She needed write a fable, which needed to teach a lesson. And the only characters she could come up with were – naturally – wolves.

After exhausting every ounce of creativity in her brain to come up with a plotline that featured a mother bear and her cubs, she knew she would never be able to get a story written with her stomach growling as much as it was. She needed a snack, and she would need to eat something before writing anything worthy turning in for a grade.

She leaned her head back against the headboard, dreading having to go downstairs. She knew he was still down there. Charlie wouldn't be home from work until eight o'clock, giving Sam a good three hours before he would need to make himself disappear. Her cell phone continued to chime every now and then, lighting up with a new text message, all of them from members of the pack trying to coax her to hearing Sam out.

But Bella just wasn't in the mood.

Bella tried three times to get a story typed up, but each time she angrily deleted them. She was too focused on her desire for a bag of chips and Sam's persistency outside to be creative.

So downstairs she went.

When she first passed by the front door, she didn't spare it a glance. She knew he'd be peeking his face in the little window, trying to catch her attention and get her to unlock it and let him in. Bella was lucky Charlie would notice a broken door, or she was sure Sam would have forced his way inside by then.

She poured a can of soda into a glass and snatched up a bag of chips, determined to get in and out quickly and get back to her paper. Of course, that plan was shattered.

When she looked up at the little window above the kitchen sink, she froze in her tracks.

He was there, watching her, eyes pleading and heartbroken.

Bella's eyes met Sam's through the glass. His deep brown eyes were hard with tension, but his lips were parted gently. He wasn't angry with _her_. His anger, undoubtedly, was pointed towards Jacob. And perhaps to the rest of the pack for allowing Bella to flee. He reached up to press his palm against the glass. "Bella," he begged. His voice was muted by the glass. "Please, Bella. Let's talk about this."

Bella swallowed, and stared at him. Leaving him in the dust had been easy, Bella realized, because Sam hadn't been standing right in front of her. He hadn't been there to look at her as he was right then – with so much love and adoration that she couldn't possibly walk away from him. Looking into his eyes only cemented the imprint bond that flooded between them, connected them. Seeing him made Bella want to rush into his arms and never let him leave her side again. He really _was_ handsome. And she loved him so much.

Bella found herself being very quickly convinced that she should go open the door. But as she took the step, reality set in.

He'd lied to her. Twice. Once when he told her his relationship with Leah hadn't been serious at all, and again when he'd told her he could never lie to her because of the imprint. Had he just been trying to gain her trust? If so, he'd only served to make his situation worse.

Bella lifted her chin high and shook her head. "I'm busy right now," she said. Even though a wall separated them, she knew he could hear her perfectly. Hell, he'd probably heard the eraser of her pencil brushing against the notebook upstairs five minutes ago.

"You don't understand, Bella," Sam begged. "Jacob doesn't –"

"I said not right now, Sam," she snapped. "I have schoolwork to do. I'll deal with you later." And with that, Bella stomped back upstairs and shut her bedroom door. It didn't block out the sound of his pounding when he resumed, but it did help prove Bella's point.

* * *

 **Sam Uley was** in his own personal hell.

He'd never felt worse pain than that which he was feeling on that very day. Stabbing, crippling pain that radiated all over his body, centering in his heart.

Rejection.

That's what it was. His imprint was rejecting him. His imprint had _run_ from him, and now she was pushing him away, locking him out. Ignoring him.

And he couldn't even blame Jacob.

Well, he _could_. Jacob had opened his mouth when he didn't have all the facts. He'd made assumptions on Sam and Leah's relationship, and those assumptions had been wrong.

But Sam hadn't been _completely_ honest with Bella, and that part _was_ Sam's fault.

It was true that Sam had once spent a great deal of time at the Clearwaters' house. Jacob assumed that meant Sam had slept with Leah.

Jacob was wrong.

Harry had been concerned that Leah was going to phase, but he wasn't sure what signs to look for – if they would be the same in a female as they were in a male. So Sam had volunteered to spend evenings there, to watch her behavior and monitor her. Together, they'd determined Leah wouldn't be phasing.

Sam hadn't realized Harry had an ulterior motive: that he'd been hoping spending so much time with Leah would make Sam fall in love with her.

Sam had set Jacob straight. Now he just needed a chance to talk to Bella, to make her believe the misunderstanding.

He heard her upstairs in her bedroom. Every now and then, a plastic bag full of chips would crackle as she stuck her hand inside to retrieve one. She was humming to herself, a beautiful sound to Sam's ears. His fist was moving independently as he hit it against the door with no reservations. He didn't care that he was probably irritating her next door neighbors.

He needed to talk to Bella, but ultimately, it would be Bella's decision. Sam could only hope he could convince her to hear him out.

 _"Bella's been really stressed out lately, Sam,"_ Jacob had said earlier. _"You need to realize that she's still adjusting to this world. It may seem like she's got it all under control, and maybe she does with_ some _things, but she's not perfect. She needs time to herself. Maybe this is what she needs – space. Just for a little while. And when Bella's ready, she'll come to you."_

She'd assured Jacob she wasn't leaving Sam in the dust. She was going to come back to him eventually. Whatever his imprint wanted, she would get. And if what she truly wanted was space, he would have to give it to her. At least until she was ready to give him a chance to explain himself.

Perhaps he deserved to be in the dog house for a while.

* * *

 **Charlie brought a** pizza home for dinner that night, and Bella was grateful. She hadn't felt like cooking that evening. The two sat in front of the television in the living room like they always did, resting their plates on the small glass coffee table. She was thankful that Charlie's attention was focused on the baseball game, because right then, she couldn't carry on a conversation if she tried.

Bella knew Sam was still outside. Of course, he wasn't on the front porch anymore, and he wasn't knocking. But she knew he was out there, especially because the vampires were still an issue. She didn't know if he would be in his human form or his wolf form, but his presence was something Bella was absolutely sure of.

"How was school today?" Charlie grumbled when a commercial replaced the game.

Bella shrugged. "Normal, I guess." She swallowed another bite. "They gave the deadline for SAT sign-ups. It's next Thursday. I haven't decided whether or not I want to take them again."

"Whatever you decide," he responded absentmindedly. That statement was pretty much a summary of Charlie's entire personality.

Bella shook her head as he struggled with a long string of cheese that threatened to bring the entire slice with it. "I started filling out my common application," she told him. School was the only thing the two could talk about for long periods of time – which, for them, meant more than two sentences each. "I added the University of Phoenix to my list of schools to send it to," she blurted before she really thought about it. Once it had been said, she gasped, shocked at herself. She hadn't admitted it to herself, when she'd made the addition that afternoon. She hadn't really thought about the choice she'd made. It certainly wasn't permanent – she could remove the school at any time because she hadn't sent it out or even completed the application – but something about the choice felt final. She'd added the college while she was still fired up about Sam. Now that she'd had enough time to calm down and think about it, she wasn't as sure about her choice as she had been when she'd made it. She was furious at Sam, that was for sure. But that didn't mean she could never forgive him. He hadn't _cheated_ on her. He'd lied to her. And yes, he would have a lot of making up to do for things to be okay between them, and it would be a while until that time came, but she loved him. She was his imprint, and she _loved_ him. She couldn't live without him even if she tried.

"Arizona?" Charlie repeated. "That's nice. Your mom will be excited about that. I know you've been wanting to go there for a long time. You should add Arizona State to the list, too, though. You never know which school will offer you more scholarship money."

Bella bit her lip. "I'm working on the application essay now. I'm not really sure what to write about." She shrugged. "I'll probably use the one about challenges and failures or something."

"What have you ever failed at, Bella?"

 _Being an Alpha werewolf's imprint._ "Lots of things, Dad," she said aloud.

"No, you haven't."

Bella grinned. "You're my father. You might be a little bias to the subject."

Charlie reached for another piece of pizza. "You've had spotless grades since Kindergarten, and you're not a teen mother. I think you've succeeded at your teenage years, Bella."

"Don't speak too soon," she teased. "Final grades aren't posted yet, and I haven't gotten my diploma."

He rolled his eyes, but the game came back on and the conversation was efficiently ended.

As the pitcher threw pitch after pitch, Bella allowed her mind to wander. She wondered if Sam was outside. It was still daylight, but the sun was setting, casting a red glow over the sky. She had no doubt there was _someone_ outside – one of the wolves. But would it be Sam? Or would he be keeping his distance until she approached him? Suddenly overcome with a spout of rage, Bella wanted to hear what he had to say – if he was going to accept his mistake or try to lie his way out of it.

"Are you finished?" she asked, gesturing to the box on the coffee table.

Charlie glanced at it and nodded.

Bella picked it up and stood "I'll transfer these last few pieces onto a plate and take the box outside to the trash so it's not taking up space in the one under the sink, okay?"

Charlie blinked a few extra times, Bella's only signal that he'd even heard her.

Once outside, Bella tossed the box into the large blue trashcan on the side of the house. She threw a glance towards the woods, half expecting a giant black wolf with large yellow eyes to be standing within the seclusion of the trees, watching her. She saw nothing and frowned, suddenly a little concerned.

She was stumbling towards the trees before she really even thought about it.

She didn't have to walk far into the forest to confirm her suspicions. She'd been right about there being a wolf watching over her in the woods, but it wasn't Sam. Quil, with his chocolate brown fur and large innocent eyes, looked up at her when she found him.

"Hey, Quil," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I should have come out earlier." She felt guilty that she'd sat inside and pigged out while poor Quil stood outside in the mud and listened. "Are you hungry? I'll go grab you some pizza."

Quil shook his oversized wolf-y head.

Bella paused. "You're not hungry?"

He shook his head in denial again.

Bella bit her lip. "That's odd. Are you feeling okay?"

This time, he nodded.

Bella crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed. "You know, you're a lot more fun to talk to when you're human. More annoying, but still more fun."

Quil's wolf-lips pulled up in an odd smile and he barked a scuff that was probably meant to be a laugh.

Bella bit her lip. "No, but seriously – can you phase? I really want to talk to you. The human version of you."

Quil hesitated.

" _Please,_ Quil," Bella begged.

He shook his head, eyes pleading with her to understand . . . something.

It clicked in Bella's brain. "Oh," she breathed. "He won't let you phase, right? You have to stay a wolf, just in case?"

He nodded.

Bella sighed and glanced around. She couldn't exactly be angry at Quil _or_ Sam. They were just trying to keep her safe from any lingering vampires who were lurking around Forks and wanted to kill her. Her eyes were trailing across the forest floor when they happened upon something she hadn't been expecting.

Nestled between two trees, resting against a fallen tree, was an indent in the leaves. They were an odd mixture of green and brown and mud, and they were all squished and trampled, like a weight had been put on them for a long period of time. The indent was roughly the size of –

Bella gasped and pointed. "Wait a minute," she breathed. "Has Sam been sleeping out here every night?"

Quil looked at her like she was stupid.

" _Every night_?" she squeaked. She stared down that the little make-shift bed of leaves. She could picture him gathering them from the forest floor and piling them up so he would have a soft place to lay all night. The image made Bella's gut clench in guilt. She'd shut him out of her life without a word. "I just thought he was staying late and coming back early! I didn't know he was _sleeping_ out here!" The thought made Bella sick. She'd been warm and comfy in her bed while Sam was laying in the mud and filth of the forest floor.

Quil bumped her knee with his nose affectionately, his way of comforting her without a human body. Bella reached down to rub her hand on the top of his head like she would a pet dog.

Another realization dawned. "It _rained_ last night, Quil! And not, like, a little drizzle or something! It was a full-fledged thunderstorm, with lightning and –" Bella waved her hands around, flustered. " –and _thunder_!" She felt horrible, unable to get the image of him lying in the mud, soaked by the rain but being loyal to Bella anyway. Of course, that was _before_ she'd found out he'd slept with Leah. But still – the romance in the gesture was not completely lost. Just slightly damaged.

Quil just stared up at her like an obedient puppy.

Bella continued as a rush of emotion flooded her heart. "Oh, my God, Quil. I'm so mad at him, Quil. So mad at him." She shook her head, staring up at the sky that was peeking through the tree branches. The sun was setting deeper now, but the light was still breaking through the trees enough to allow Bella to see. She would have to go inside before it was pitch black. "He _lied_ to me, Quil. Big time. I-I mean, I _knew_ he wasn't a virgin, Quil, I'm not an idiot. But – he looked me in the eye, Quil! He looked me in the eye and told me nothing about his relationship with Leah was ever serious. He promised me they'd only went out on one date, Quil! One date, and he didn't even enjoy himself!"

Bella felt hot, _furious_ tears begin to prickle her eyes and spill over her cheeks. Quil moved closer to lay down in the dirt and formed a half-circle with his body. With his oversized head, he gestured for Bella to lean against him and make herself comfortable.

Bella did so but didn't stop talking. "Is sex really that low-key to you? To you _men_? Huh? Is it so meaningless to you that it doesn't even _mean_ anything to you?"

Quil shook his head.

"No?" Bella demanded. "No what? No, it doesn't mean anything to you, or no, I'm making the wrong assumption?"

Quil just stared at her in dismay, unsure of how to answer.

Bella groaned. "See, _this_ is a problem. We can't communicate. I need to _talk_ to you, Quil. I need to talk to _someone_!"

This time, Bella knew _exactly_ what the expression on Quil's face meant.

She sighed. "Yeah, you're right," she whispered. "I should talk to _Sam_." She sent him a sideways, knowing glance. "Is he listening right now? You know – with that weird wolf mind-sharing thing?"

The chocolate fur on his head blew in the breeze as he nodded.

Bella heaved another deep sigh and closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm about to say this. I was so hell-bent on letting him sweat it out for a few days before I even _considered_ hearing him out." She closed her eyes and shook her head, defeated. She couldn't fight it – the pull of the imprint. She was absolutely _furious_ with him, but he missed him like crazy at the exact same time. She couldn't stay away from him. She could stay _mad_ at him, but she couldn't not be around him. She wasn't strong enough to keep him out of her life for any significant length of time. "I can't believe I'm about to say this. Sam? If you're listening to me talk to you through Quil's ears because you're a werewolf right now and therefore are a part of Quil's mind –"

Quil's rumbling animal laughter interrupted her.

Bella slugged him on the shoulder. "Shut up, Quil! I don't know how it works."

He turned his head away innocently.

" _Anyways_ ," Bella continued, "Sam. Consider this your invitation to my house this evening to talk." She bit her lip. "Wait until Charlie is completely asleep, and then come through my window. I'll leave it unlocked." She thought for a moment, and then added sternly, "But _don't_ think I'm forgiving you. Because I'm not. Yet. I'm just going to give you a chance to explain yourself."

Quil chuckled again, and Bella smacked him again. "Did he get all that?"

Quil nodded.

Bella sighed and heaved herself up off of the ground. She brushed her shorts off and glanced towards her house, where the shabby lamp in the living room was shining through the window and illuminating a square in the yard. The sun had officially disappeared and Bella needed to get inside before she needed night vision goggles to find the front door. "I'd better get inside. Charlie will think I got trapped inside the garbage can or something." She snorted. "Not like he'd even notice I'm still gone until the Mariners' game is over."

She walked forward a few steps before she turned and gave Quil a smile. "Thanks for being out here, Quil. Promise me if it starts to rain, you'll go home."

Quil growled and shook his head.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. At least phase and come hang out in the house."

He gave her a look that said he probably wouldn't do so but was willing to agree just to appease her. Bella would have to be satisfied with that.

She waved goodbye, and just as she was ready to exit the treeline, she turned and called, "Hey, good talk, Quil."

His rough laughter echoed into her ears and had Bella grinning at the humor of it all as she locked her front door behind her.

* * *

 **I have to say, I'm a little peeved at how many of you guessed that Sam didn't actually sleep with Leah. So I guess can't ask if this chapter was a shock for you, because a good many of you guessed that Jacob's facts might not have been correct in your reviews. Oh, well. Can't shock 'em all, right?**

 **I'm very surprised at the mixed response I got from last chapter, but I'm pleased with it. That's exactly what I wanted you all to feel from it. What do you think now? Is he still scum? Is the world still ending? It's still gonna be a little rough for Sam and Bella for a little while because the imprint can't fix _everything._**

 **Once again, thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Please keep them coming. I am SO THRILLED with the response I'm getting from this story.**

 **Remember that one-shot I've been mentioning for, like, a month? It's coming. I swear. It'll be up before this story is over. Classes just started back, and I'm a little swamped. Something had to give.**

 **See you in Chapter Fifteen.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

****WHOO-HOO! Look at me, I'm on time with this chapter!****

 **ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

It was almost one o'clock in the morning when Sam slid gracefully through Bella's bedroom window. Bella, seated on her bed, glanced up from her laptop screen as he straightened. He wore his usual apparel – cut-off shorts, a form-fitting T-shirt, and a pair of heavily worn tennis shoes. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders shrugged up to his ears. Bella's heartbeat sped up at the mere sight of him, and it reminded her just how much she really loved him, how much she'd never stop. For a moment, she forgot she was mad at him, overwhelmed with the urge to be in his arms after not seeing him all afternoon. But as he tucked his head sheepishly and frowned down at his toes, Bella realized that while she loved him, she was angry with him.

He blinked twice and cleared his throat.

He was nervous. Good.

Bella took a deep breath and pushed her laptop aside. She hugged her knees to her chest and bit her lip, staring at the cream-colored carpeting that covered her bedroom floor. The dull bedside lamp only lit up one half of the room, leaving the other dark and dreary. Sam's face, however, was perfectly clear as he watched her with contrite eyes.

Sam took her silence as a sign for him to speak first. He swallowed audibly. "I know you're mad," he began.

Bella snorted. " _Mad_ isn't the right word. I'm _furious_ , and I'm disappointed. And _humiliated_ , Sam!" She glared at him. "Do you understand how embarrassing it was to stand there in front of the entire pack and find out you had _sex_ with the girl who a powerful man on the council wants you to date?"

"But I didn't have sex with her!" he blurted, eyes wide.

Bella's mouth dropped open as she froze and her words got caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't have sex with her, Bella," he repeated. "And – not that it matters – but remember that Harry Clearwater still has less authority than I do."

"You're right," she snapped, "that doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that Jacob _told_ me that you slept with Leah, and _you_ told me you only ever went out on one date with her and it didn't go all that well!" She could feel herself getting worked up. Her breathing accelerated, and her eyes stunk with threatening tears.

"Jacob didn't have all the facts," Sam insisted. "He didn't know what he was talking about. And he definitely wasn't in his place –"

"Oh, don't you _dare_ blame Jacob for _your_ mistakes, Samuel Uley!"

Sam's eyes widened in surprise at her outburst. His shoulders sagged. "I didn't do anything wrong, Bella," he insisted quietly. "I didn't lie to you. I've never had sex with Leah. We only ever went out once – to dinner and a movie. I never felt anything for her – _especially_ not the love I feel for you."

His eyes were so sincere that Bella almost gave in and went to him. But she certainly didn't have enough proof yet. She picked at her bedspread anxiously. "How do I know I can believe you?" she asked skeptically. "How do I know you're not just saying this to get yourself out of trouble?" She _wanted_ to believe him. More than _anything_. But it would be so easy for him to lie and get Bella to forget about it, and she couldn't stomach the idea of forgetting this ever happened.

Sam's eyes pleaded with her, but he kept a respectful distance. His arms were tense, and Bella knew he wanted to wrap them around her. She also knew that _he_ knew she wouldn't take kindly to that right at the moment, and wisely kept his hands to himself. "I talked to Jacob," he told her. "And not just face-to-face. We talked . . . um, mind-to-mind, you know? Like, wolf-mind and stuff."

The way he stuttered turned Bella on a little. Seeing a man who was always so strong and dominant morph into a nervous mess _only_ when he was around Bella was extremely attractive to her. "You talked to Jacob," she repeated, "and he thinks you didn't sleep with her now?"

Sam nodded innocently.

"You're saying that, if I called him right now, he would tell me that he was wrong and you _didn't_ sleep with Leah Clearwater?" Bella emphasized. "He would tell me you _didn't_ spend night after night at the Clearwater's house all winter long, spending time with her and sleeping in her bed?"

"He would tell you that Leah and I have never been together," he edited. "And that I've never fu – um, had sex with her. But – um, it's true that I spent a lot of nights at their house." Bella glared at him and opened her mouth to speak, but his hands shot up in the air innocently. "Wait, wait, it's not what you think! Bella, _I never had sex with her_! And I wasn't there to hang out with Leah!"

"Then why?" Bella demanded. "Why would you spend so much time there?"

"Seth had just phased," he explained, "and he's the first member of the pack to have a sister. We weren't sure if Leah would phase, too – if females could carry the gene. It was a big concern, so I watched her for the signs."

"Who's _we_?"

"Billy and I," he said. "And the pack."

"And Harry?"

Sam shook his head. "Harry didn't believe she would phase. He disagreed that she was ever a threat. And – as much as it pains me to say this – he was right, she's not going to phase."

"How do you know?"

"Because she would have by now if she were going to." He shifted his weight back and forth between his feet, hands still stuffed into his pockets. The muscles in his arms tensed, and Bella imagined he was squeezing his hands into anxious fists as a way to alleviate his anger.

Bella was silent for a moment. "I'm going to talk to Jacob about this," she finally whispered, her tone less accusatory. "But even if he changes his tune and confirms that you've never had sex with her, you're not completely out of the dog house."

"I know," he said quietly. "I should have told you how much time I spent there. I downplayed my involvement with her too much." He gave her an apologetic, loving look. "I knew you were already hesitant about my past with her, and I didn't want you to worry about it. Obviously that didn't work, but Bella, there's nothing there – nothing between Leah and I, and there never was. We were never more than friends, and we never will be. You have to understand that by now."

Bella sucked in a deep breath. "I know you love me, Sam. And I love you, too. But I just . . ." She shook her head. A realization dawned on Bella – the _true_ reason she was so hesitant to believe him. "Sam, I broke every rule I had."

His eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean?"

"Two months ago, I was a completely different person," she breathed. "I was . . . tense, and uptight, and . . . very in control all of the time. I didn't do anything or go anywhere that wasn't planned a week in advance. I grocery shopped every Sunday and already knew exactly what I would make for dinner every night." She twisted her fingers in front of her, anxiety rippling through her chest at the memory. "But most importantly, I didn't date. Sam, I was _terrified_ of giving my heart to someone and not receiving his in return. I was afraid of getting my heart broken."

She laughed a little. "Do you know how long it took for me to fall in love with you, Sam? About ten seconds. You creeped me the hell out with all your staring, but I guess I thought it was more romantic than strange because that day – the day of Jacob's barbeque, the first day I met you – I couldn't wait to see you again. I couldn't wait for another excuse to talk to you. When you showed up at my house that night, and I invited you to stay for dinner, I didn't have a panic attack. I was _excited_ to see you, even though you hadn't called before coming over or given me any sort of heads-up. Sam, you changed me. For the better."

She sniffled, suddenly emotional. The words were flowing freely from her mouth as she finally let everything off of her chest. "I _so_ set on the University of Phoenix before I met you. I hadn't even thought of applying anywhere around here. I don't know why I wanted to go down there so bad – maybe because that's where my mom is? It's warm down there and it doesn't rain? I don't know, but . . . Sam, after I found out you can't come with me if I leave Forks . . . suddenly I realized I wanted _you_ more than I wanted that college. Because I love you, Sam. I love you so much." She was crying softly now, the tears burning her cheeks as they slid from her squinting eyes. "You've become such an important part of my life, Sam. You're in every aspect of it, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I just –" She bit her lip. "I just _need_ you to understand that this was a big deal to me – opening my heart up to you. I'd never done that before. I'd never fallen in love. I need you to understand how much of myself I'm putting into this relationship, and I need to know that you're as invested in this as I am."

"I am, Bella," he insisted fervently. "There's no one else I want – no one else I'll _ever_ want. I love you so much, Bella. More than anything in the world."

Bella suddenly couldn't stand the space between them. "I missed you," she whispered.

He dropped to his knees so he wasn't staring down at her but instead looking at her at an even level. "I missed you, too, Bella. God, I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest."

She hesitantly reached her hand out towards him, inviting him closer. He was entwining his fingers with her before she could blink.

His breath fanned across her face. "I'll never look at another woman, Bella," he promised her. "You know I've been with women, but that was all before I met you. I'll never see another woman the way I see you."

Bella leaned her head back on her pillow and turned onto her side to face him. He kneeled right next to her bed, resting his chin on her mattress. Their faces were two inches apart, and as they stared deeply into each other's eyes, the stress that had been weighing on each of their shoulders slowly lifted. "I'm sorry I left so quickly," she said, thinking about the way she'd bolted for her truck in panic. "I shouldn't have just bailed like that, while you were waiting for me. I should have faced you right away and asked for answers. But when Jake told me – told me that you'd –" She blinked, unwilling to say the words. "I was so _humiliated_ that the entire pack seemed to agree, and I was oblivious. I didn't think that the reason I was so oblivious was because it wasn't true."

"That's in the past now," he responded calmly. "It's over. Jacob can explain the misunderstanding from his point of view, and we can move on." He reached out with the hand that wasn't grasping hers to brush her hair out of her face. "God, you're beautiful."

Her cheeks blushed pink. "You're pretty handsome yourself."

He bent down as if intending to kiss her, but hesitated and pulled back a little, his tongue poking out to dampen his lips. When she weaved her fingers into his hair as she always did, he pressed his lips gently against hers. He didn't try to deepen the kiss, probably sensing that she wasn't ready for one of their usual make out sessions.

He rested his head on her pillow and rubbed his thumb over her cheek adoringly, and for a long time, they just delighted in each other's presence. With Bella's being in school and her leaving so soon after arriving at the cliff, the two had basically been separated all day long. While she hadn't completely forgiven him, she had to admit that there had been a Sam-sized hole in her heart all day long.

"You're not punishing Jacob, are you?" she asked hesitantly. "Because of what he said?"

Sam stared into her eyes for a moment before he finally sighed. "I have to, Bella. He betrayed me as his Alpha, and for that, he needs to be punished."

Bella suddenly shot upright, startling him. "What the hell does that mean? What are you doing to him?"

He shushed her, reminding her that her voice needed to remain quiet if she wanted to avoid Charlie bursting into her room with a gun. "He's just running extra patrols," he said softly. His eyes widened in sympathy. "I'm Alpha wolf, Bella. It doesn't matter if his friendship with you has been longer, stronger than his with me. He needs to be loyal to me no matter what." He shook his head. "He spoke negatively about me to my _imprint_ , and threatened my relationship with you. I can't let him get away with that. It's a long-standing law from the packs of the past."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but decided she didn't have anything to say. She couldn't argue with the rules of the pack – it wasn't her place.

As it turned out, Bella didn't have to formulate a response to him. She never got the chance, because the tell-tale howl that Bella had gotten used to fearing pierced through her ears and sent her heart into overdrive.

This howl wasn't like the one that had erupted during game night a few days earlier. _That_ howl had been merely a warning – a signal that a close eye needed to be kept. A caution sign.

Not this one.

No. This howl wasn't a warning. It was a cry for help. There was danger, and this wolf was _desperately_ calling for backup, demanding that the entire pack join him.

Sam's head shot up, his eyes wide and alert. His hands clenched into fists and his jaw immediately tightened. A growl, furious and menacing, ripped its way up his chest. It was such a savage sound that goose bumps instantly rose on Bella's arms. Sam's teeth lifted to bare his front teeth, a purely animalistic action, and he slowly rose to his feet. He marched determinedly over to the window and peered out with hard, emotionless eyes.

The glow of the moon lit up one side of his face, leaving the other dark and shadowed. The muscles in his arms rippled with tension and anger. His fingers flexed and tightened again. "Damn it," he swore.

"What?" Bella cried softly. "What is it?"

"It's Jared and Seth," he answered. His voice was coarse with rage. "They're calling for help."

"What's wrong?" Bella's entire body was ice cold. Fear ceased her, clutching at her throat as she struggled to breath.

" _Leech_ ," he snarled. It was feral and wild and animalistic and made Bella's stomach clench with sudden nausea.

"How many?" she gasped.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and the silence was screaming in Bella's ears. "I'm not sure," he eventually whispered, "but it has to be a lot."

Bella sobbed, feeling her entire torso heave. "Oh, my God," she cried.

Sam didn't appear to have heard her. He was staring outside, out into the forest, squinting as if he were searching for something. Apparently, he found what he was looking for because he straightened. "Quil, Jacob, and Embry are outside," he growled. "They'll protect keep you safe."

Bella's heart dropped. "What do you mean?" _Sam_ was standing right there. Why did she need Jacob and the others?

Sam swallowed loudly and turned to look down at her. His eyes softened when he saw the frightened, panicked expression she wore. Her fingers gripped the bedspread desperately as if she were trying to hold herself together. "Bella," he started.

"Don't say it," she begged. "No, Sam!"

He closed the distance between them in two long strides and sat down on her bed, drawing her into his chest tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head as she tucked her face into his neck and sobbed. She knew exactly what he was going to say next, but it still felt like a knife was plunged into her heart when he spoke. "I have to go, Bella," he said. "I have to help them fight. I have to keep my tribe safe."

Her tears soaked his neck, but she couldn't seem to stop them. "No," she pleaded, even though she knew it was useless. He _had_ to go – it was his duty as the Alpha. No matter how much he wanted to stay with her, he just _couldn't_.

"Why all three of them?" Bella panted into his neck. "That only leaves you with six wolves fighting, including yourself!"

Sam pulled back and looked down into her eyes. He rested his forehead against hers and pressed a small kiss to her nose. "Because you're everything to me, Bella," he said calmly, rationally. "You're my whole life. I'm _not_ going to let _anything_ happen to you. I'd die before I let that happen."

Bella smacked him. "Don't you _dare_ say that, Samuel Uley!" she scolded him through her sniffles. "You _cannot_ leave me on this earth by myself!"

"Bella –"

"Take it back!"

He kissed her temple gingerly. "Shh," he hushed, "okay, alright. I take it back." He kissed down her face until his lips pressed against her jaw. "I love you, Bella."

Bella cried harder. "I love you, too." It was a desperate plea full of raw emotion.

And with that, their lips finally met and they were both consumed by an overwhelming passion. They were enveloped in each other's arms, neither willing to let any distance be put between them. Sam's hands slipped from her shoulders to her waist and he lifted her, placing her down on the center of her bed. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. He settled his body right up against hers as their tongues entwined. They weren't battling for dominance; they were dancing, moving in complete harmony. Their hands wandered all over the other's body, trying to draw every ounce of satisfaction they possibly could, memorizing every curve.

The kisses were rushed and panicked as another ear-splitting howl echoed through the forest. For a moment, Bella worried Charlie would be woken and decide to check on her. That thought, however, was quickly expelled when Sam buried his face in her neck and trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck. She tried to quiet her moan, but it escaped anyway.

The third howl was apparently what it took to tear the two of them apart. Sam catapulted himself off of the bed with a snarl and was five feet away before Bella could protest. She sat up, gasping for breath, and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She was sure her lips would be swollen for hours, but she would welcome that; it would serve as a reminder of the love that the two of them shared.

"I have to get out there," he said sadly. "I have to phase."

Bella's tears stung her cheeks. "I know."

He reached down to caress his thumb over her cheek, gazing at her adoringly. "I love you more than anything," he promised her.

She clutched his hand softly, holding it to her heart. "I know. I love you, too, Sam."

His eyes roamed over her face for a good minute and a half, and the two stayed frozen in place. A goodbye was coming, and neither wanted to face it. When he finally blinked, his eyes went absolutely lifeless and his hand dropped heavily to his side. His shoulders slumped, as if all of his strength had been sucked out of him. His eyes yellowed and flashed primal as he turned towards the window, his jaw set.

He opened the window and cracked his knuckles, watching the yard outside. Probably looking at Jacob, Quil, and Embry. "What if you need more help?" Bella's whisper was barely audible.

"It doesn't matter. You are the most important."

"What about Kim?"

"They'll go after the Alpha's mate first."

Bella squeezed her eyes closed, but then threw them back open as she decided she wanted to see him leave. She wanted to keep him in her sights as long as she possibly could. "Come back to me," she demanded, tears still rolling down her face. "I wasn't done being mad at you yet."

The smallest smile pulled at his cheeks. "I don't doubt that." He planted his foot on the window seal, ready to leap into the night.

Bella threw herself from the bed and ran towards him. He must have sensed her coming at him, because he spun and caught her as she flung herself into his arms. He lifted her from the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him for just a moment longer.

"Be safe," she ordered into his throat.

"Always." And then he was gone.

And Bella was left standing alone in the darkness of her bedroom, clutching his last gift to her tightly in her palm – the small, wooden black wolf that dangled proudly around her neck.

* * *

 **So much for her not being ready for a make out session, huh?**

 **Before I get a lot of comments yelling at me because Bella forgave him to easily, I'd like to point out that she hasn't forgiven him yet. She's not angry at him, but that doesn't mean she's forgiven him. Here, Sam's now leaping out into the dark forest to fight evil vampires who want to kill them all. Bella knows there's a small chance she could never see him alive again. She certainly wouldn't want to spend her last moments with Sam before he goes off to battle fighting and arguing with him. OF COURSE she's going to kiss him and tell him she loves him and all that mushy stuff.**

 **And I'd also like to point out that HE DID NOTHING WRONG so it will be easier for her to push past this. Just saying.**

 **Alright, thanks again for all the nice reviews! We're drawing to the end of this story, I'm afraid. A few more chapters left. I'm not sure exactly how many, but when I do, I'll let you know.**

 **See you in Chapter Sixteen.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

****ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!****

 ** **Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.****

 **Chapter Sixteen**

Sam's legs burned in protest as he ran with all the force he could muster. It didn't help that his chest felt like his heart was being ripped free after leaving Bella behind. Knowing she was upset, knowing she wanted him to stay with her, made his stomach heave and his heart twist. He might as well have stabbed himself in the gut with a knife.

But he had a good reason for leaving her. He was keeping her safe.

 _She's gonna be okay,_ Jacob thought towards him. _Do you want me to go inside and sit with her? That would probably make her feel better_.

Sam knew Jacob well enough to know that he wasn't just offering to do Sam a favor. Bella had been his best friend for years, before she moved away from Forks in the first place. Now that she'd returned, they're friendship had only gotten stronger. Of course Jacob would want to comfort Bella while she was so obviously frightened, but he needed Sam's permission to enter the house and bedroom of the Alpha's mate. _I think that would be good for her,_ he responded. _Go ahead. Phase._

He felt Jacob's mind pull away from his as the Beta phased into his human body. He focused his mind on the other conversations happening between the rest of the pack.

 _I'm not picking up any scent up here,_ Paul thought. He was surrounded by trees, farther away from Sam than the others. _They're probably out you're way, Jay._

Jared was just as distracted as Sam was, picturing the heartbroken expression on Kim's face when he'd stopped by to, more or less, say goodbye. _Seth, follow the scent of the female. She went south. I'm going north._

 _Someone catch me up,_ Sam ordered. _Did they split up? How many are we talking?_

 _Three._ The response came from Seth. _They were all together, but when we started after them, they went straight to the water. Now we're trying to pick up where they exited._

 _Who caught the initial scent?_

 _I did,_ Quil interjected. His eyes were locked on the tree line across from Bella's house, his ears tuned for any unnatural sound in the woods.

 _They were hunting near that old abandoned house,_ Embry added. _You know – the one that old fisherman used to live in? Before he – uh –_

 _Croaked,_ Paul provided.

Embry shifted his gaze towards Bella's bedroom window when the lamp flickered on. Jacob must have joined her. Sam suddenly hoped she would appear in his sight while Embry's eyes were watching for her, but he wasn't lucky enough. _Yeah,_ Embry thought bitterly. _I think they've been squatting there for a while._

 _Makes sense,_ Brady commented. He was weaving through the trees near the little stream that Seth and Jared were searching, trying to find any hint at their direction. _We don't usually patrol out there._

 _And why the hell not?_ Sam snarled.

 _It's too far out of the way, Sam,_ Paul reminded him. _You wanted us to focus on Bella's house, remember? We could only afford to have one wolf patrol off of the Rez, and we can't be in two places at once._

Sam checked his temper and weaved faster through the trees. _You're right. It just makes me sick to think they were so close to Bella all this time._

Then something dawned on Quil. _If they were staying so close to her, why the hell have they waited until now to make a move?_

 _Who cares?_ Jared snapped. He certainly wasn't in the best mood. He was irritated that he'd had to leave his own imprint to go and defend someone else's.

Sam sympathized with him, but he wasn't about to send him home. He needed to keep Bella safe, and if he had to force Jared away from Kim, he was going to do it. Jared stumbled a little at Sam's thoughts, but didn't say anything.

 _No, I'm serious,_ Quil insisted. _If they've been this close to her this long, why are they picking now to show themselves? When they knew we were on guard?_

 _What are you implying?_ Sam thought. His stomach was uneasy as he guessed the direction Quil's thoughts were going to go in.

Embry shivered. _Do you think there's a chance we're getting played?_

Quil scanned the trees again and shuffled his feet in the leaves. _I don't know. But I just have a generally bad –_

Jared snarled viciously. _I caught it,_ he thought urgently. _The female went north, towards the Rez. Towards Kim._ Sam could tell mentioning his imprint hadn't been his intention, but her face was suddenly the only thing he could think about.

 _Collin, go with him,_ Sam ordered briskly. The young wolf was only a few yards away. Sam himself turned and ran in their direction, but he skidded to an abrupt halt when Seth let out a low, menacing growl of his own.

 _I found the other two,_ he barked. _They're making a U-turn._ Seth paused, like he didn't want to think the next three words, but he couldn't stop them. _Towards Bella's house._

Instantly, Quil and Embry were in action. Embry lifted his nose as he let out a screeching howl to alert Jacob. Quil backed away and ducked around to the other side of the Swans' house, keeping himself just barely hidden within the trees.

If Sam had thought his legs were burning before, he certainly proved himself wrong. As he launched himself back towards Bella's house, his muscles protested with sharp pangs shooting through his paws and up his thighs.

* * *

 **Having Jacob sit** with her was certainly more comforting than being alone, but Jacob wasn't Sam. And Sam was the only man she wanted to see at that moment.

No offense to her best friend.

Bella squeezed her hands together in her lap and chewed on her bottom lip.

"C'mon, Bells," Jake begged. "If you don't want to sleep, then let's do something to distract you."

"Like what?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Do you have a deck of cards? I could teach you how to play poker."

Bella, despite the situation, laughed. "I'm not playing any games with you, Jacob Black."

"Why not?" Jake whined.

Bella wagged her finger at him like a mother scolding her child. "Because you are a very sore winner, and I don't feel like hearing about how awful of a poker player I am for the next month."

Jacob flashed a cheeky grin. "How do you know you'll be awful? You've never played."

Bella gave him a pointed look. "Sometimes I think you don't know me at all."

Jacob laughed quietly, very aware of Charlie's chainsaw snoring across the hall. "Alright, point taken. And you'd probably give yourself a paper cut off of the cards."

Bella rolled her eyes, but deep down, she loved when they could have these moments. For a while, Bella had felt like their friendship had been lost. Not that they'd ever stopped being friends, because that could never happen. The two had just been so overwhelmed with _life_ in general that their friendship had been put on the backburner. They had become the Alpha's mate and the Beta werewolf instead of best friends; but now, sitting cross-legged and grinning on Bella's bed, they felt like teenagers again.

And it was great.

Jacob rested his hands behind his head. "What are the chances you've got something in your fridge that's worth the trip downstairs?"

Bella thought. "What do you consider worth the trip?"

"Pizza," he responded immediately. "Or potato chips. Or both. Oh – and some sort of soda."

"The soda will be on a shelf on the door," she told him, "and the last time I checked, there was a slice of pepperoni pizza in there." When Jake's face brightened, she shook her head at him. "You'd better hope you beat Charlie to it, though."

Jacob grinned a cheeky smile and bounced up from the bed. "You want anything?" he asked.

Bella shook her head. "I'm good. Too nervous to eat anything right now." Her eyes drifted to the window and she hoped Sam would appear, but of course he didn't. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and sighed.

Jacob's eyes softened. "He's going to be _fine_ , Bella. We all are."

Bella bit her lip and nodded, not trusting her voice.

After Jacob disappeared down the stairs, Bella felt her panic worsen. An uneasy feeling sent chills through her bones and a prickle up her spine. Something was wrong. Deep down inside, she could feel that something wasn't right. It was like all of her instincts were telling her she needed to _do_ something.

Call it mother's intuition.

Bella knew it was deeper than that. It was the Alpha's mate's intuition.

When Jacob flew back into her bedroom empty handed and wide-eyed with panic, Bella knew she was right. He swallowed loudly and stared down at her.

"What is it?" she demanded quietly. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, his eyes spacing. He was listening to something outside. After a second, he frowned. "I need to phase," he said. "I don't understand what they're doing . . . it sounds like Embry and Quil are splitting up."

"How can you tell?"

"I can hear their footsteps," he answered. "Quil's circling around the back of the house. Like he's –" when his sentence stopped abruptly, Bella's eyes snapped to his face. He looked too pale for her liking, and his eyes were scared.

Bella's heart sunk. "Oh, God," she whispered. "What is it? What happened?" Before she could censor the thought, she blurted, "How badly is he hurt?"

Jacob shook his head, his lips pressing into a firm line. "Sam's not hurt – no one is." His voice was low, but Bella could hear the underlying alarm trying to rise up.

She swallowed. "So, then . . . the danger isn't _there_ ," she whimpered. She curled herself into a ball for protection and met Jacob's gaze. "The danger is _here_. With us."

Jacob didn't speak for a long moment, and all Bella could hear was her heartbeat. "The leeches are outside."

Bella's heart stopped. "Oh, my God," she breathed, and waited for the terror to squeeze her gut. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of nausea hit her but she couldn't bring herself to get out of bed. Immediately the image of three furious, red-eyed blood-sucking creatures popped into her mind. Bella had never seen a vampire for herself, but Jake had once given her quite a detailed analysis. Horrified tears sprung up and rushed down her cheeks.

Jacob stalked furiously over to the window. His arms trembled just the slightest bit, but Bella didn't have any fear of him phasing. Her terror was completely directed towards the creatures that wanted to kill her, looming in the darkness surrounding her house. Jacob let out a low, feral growl and smacked his palm roughly against the wall. "Damn it," he snapped

Bella sniffled. " _What_ , Jake?"

"I have to phase." His shirt was ripped off of his body before Bella could blink. He kicked his shoes off violently and they thudded against her closet door. The mirror hanging in front of it rattled loudly, and Bella's shoulders tensed; the last thing she needed was for Charlie to wake up just as the mythical creatures that roam the general Forks area come to a battle in her back yard.

"Wait, Jake –" Bella begged uselessly.

He spared her a glance after he'd discarded all of his clothing except his boxers. He pinned her with a look to threatening it had her cowering against the headboard behind her. He lifted a hand, which by then was full-on vibrating with his anger and instinct to phase, and jabbed his pointer finger down at her. "You stay _right_ here. Do you understand me? Don't you dare leave this bedroom, no matter _what_ you hear or see or _think_ you hear or see."

Bella's chest heaved with a sob and she nodded obediently.

"I'm _serious_ , Bella," he stressed. A worry line appeared right between his eyebrows. "No matter what you think you should do, or feel you need to do –just _don't_ , okay? Let us take care of this." He paused. "Let _Sam_ take care of this."

And Bella, too soon for her liking, was left to wallow in her fear once again.

* * *

 **Sam hadn't expected** to feel relieved when he finally saw the leeches that had been terrorizing La Push, but he was. Probably because he didn't have to wonder anymore. Finally they had an image to pair with the hate.

The two bastards that had surrounded Bella's house were both male.

Sam had to admit he was surprised at the appearance of the first one. According to human eyes, vampires are unnaturally beautiful, but Sam and the pack had never seen them that way; they were all equally hideous to him just because of the absolute loathing he felt towards them. But something about _this_ vampire was different. Sam was positive that no human would find him attractive. He was pale – sickly pale. If it had been snowing, he would have been camouflaged by it. He was blonde, and his hair was caked with dirt and filthy, and knotted in the back. A tight leather jacket limited his arms when he moved. His ripped, ratty jeans were spattered with blood over the thighs. Clearly he was a violent feeder. His feet bare feet sunk deep into the grass as he bent forward in a defensive crouch, eyes locked on Embry, who had taken up his own offensive position a few feet away. This leech, of the two, was obviously the muscle of the group.

The other was sporting a solid pair of dreadlocks. His eyes were equally as red as the snarling blonde's, and his expression was just as bleak, but his wardrobe was a polar opposite. While the blonde reminded Sam of a biker, this one looked almost homeless. He wore pale, weak shades of auburn and brown. His brown trench coat was torn at the elbow, like his prey had fought back and probably lost. He, too, had no shoes and didn't seem to be bothered by it. This one wasn't growling or preparing to fight. His eyes were calculating, synchronizing Embry's every breath. Every so often, he would turn to look at Quil, who kept a safe but defensive distance. If Quil didn't move, Sam was sure he would be left alone. This leech didn't seem to want to shed unnecessary blood.

If the pack backed away now, they would all walk away from that battle unharmed. But if they backed away, these two leeches would kill Bella.

And there wasn't a chance that was happening.

The darkness didn't both the leeches any more than it bothered the wolves. There wasn't a star in the sky and the streetlights were dim, but it made no difference to them.

Sam knew exactly when the leeches could hear the rest of the pack coming; they both turned towards them in synchronization. He was _extremely_ satisfied with the shocked expressions that crossed their faces.

With a satisfied jolt, he realized they'd been expecting the majority them to follow the female – probably assuming their loyalties would stay with the Reservation and tribe. They'd been expecting this fight, but not this high a number of wolves they'd be fighting.

The pack had the element of surprise _and_ they outnumbered them. This could be an easy win.

As long as Sam kept his head out of the game and ignored the frantic pounding of Bella's heartbeat

The entire pack with the exception of Jared and Collin created a semi-circle around the house, covering the entire wooded area around the Swan residence. The vampire with the dreadlocks must have realized he was at a severe disadvantage because he slipped into a deep defensive crouch, mirroring the blonde leech.

 _What's the plan?_ Paul demanded.

Sam lowered his head and bared his teeth when Dreadlocks looked him right in the eye. _They don't leave this fight alive_ , he snarled. _This ends here._

 _Who makes the first move?_ It came from Seth, who stood on Sam's right side.

 _Let them try to get into that house._ Sam let out a savage growl when the leech deepened his crouch. _I'll rip his head off before he takes a step._

For a minute, an intense stare-down had them all rumbling and glaring. The air was completely still, everyone hesitant to make the smallest move.

Dreadlocks glanced between Sam and Paul, sensing that they were the strongest fighters of the pack. Sam stared right back, daring him to make a move.

Dreadlocks blinked.

Sam bent his hind legs in preparation to run.

The backdoor of the Swans' house flew open and shattered the stillness.

In a flash, Dreadlocks was running, too fast for human eyes to follow. Paul and Seth both bolted after him, but Sam didn't move. Instead, he shifted his focus to Blondie, who hadn't moved an inch.

Sam didn't need to go after Dreadlocks. Jacob was prepared, and he phased just in time. The leech and werewolf collided just as Jacob's quivering body exploded. The leech was knocked backwards and Jacob landed with one solid paw in the center of its chest. He let out an infuriated roar and sunk his teeth into the leech's shoulder. As he started dragging the body towards the forest, Dreadlocks kicked and flailed, attempting to break himself free. He failed at all of his attempts and the two were once again shielded within the dense forest from any wandering human eyes.

Sam didn't have a time to wonder what the nearby residence would make of the sounds they were making. He was distracted by the smallest squeak reaching his ears from Bella's bedroom.

Quil and Embry instinctively moved to back Jacob up, but they weren't fast enough because Jacob, too, had heard Bella's yelp and lost his focus. Dreadlocks twisted Jacob's paw until a bone cracked and was standing again in the blink of an eye. Jacob rolled over, whining, before lurching to his feet and spinning to attack again. _Damn it_ , Jacob swore, his thoughts echoing through the entire pack.

Dreadlocks was ready this time. He sent Jacob flying backwards. He collided with a tree, sending shards of bark tumbling to the floor. Jacob didn't retaliate as quickly this time, so Quil and Embry stepped in.

Apparently this wasn't these leeches' first rodeo. Dreadlocks battled both Quil _and_ Embry, smacking one right after the other as they tried to counterattack him. This leech knew exactly what he was doing.

 _Brady, go after Dreadlocks_ , Sam ordered. _Paul, Seth, and Jacob – go at the blonde._

The orders were carried out immediately, but neither side was getting any results. Just when one group of wolves got the upper hand, the other leech would overtake the second, or vice versa. Neither team could manage to break down the entire opponent at once. Sam was amazed, but also terrified. These were _two_ leeches fighting and succeeding against a whole _pack_ of werewolves. Exactly how experienced were these bastards? Fighting off three vampires at once was _impossible_. They were severely outnumbered, but they were holding their own.

The blonde vampire made his first move towards the house, but Sam shot out to clam his teeth down on his ankle to keep him in place. Paul came at him from the other side and went for an arm. It sounded like shattering granite when it was pulled out of its socket. Blondie howled in pain and threw his head back, snarling.

Dreadlocks flipped Quil over his shoulder and landed a swift kick to his stomach when he landed in front of him. _That's my best friend,_ Embry thought and slammed into his side and sent him reeling. Brady tried to get a solid hold on its head to end the battle permanently, but the leech was fast. Dreadlocks flipped up just as Brady's jaw snapped shut around open air.

Suddenly, Blondie reared back and threw a punch just as Seth lunged at him from behind. Sam and Paul both cringed as the sickening, tell-tale sound of bones cracking hit their ears. Seth fell, whimpering dejectedly. Sam rose up on his hind legs and swiped a paw across the leech's face, forcing him backwards and putting a safe distance between it and Seth.

 _Are you okay?_ Sam thought, ducking as Blondie tried to connect his foot with Sam's shoulder.

Seth's thoughts were consumed with his pain as he lay amongst the leaves, but he didn't admit it, though he knew Sam knew exactly what he was thinking. _I'll be fine. I think a few of my ribs are broken, but they'll heal. I'm out, though. I can't move._

 _We can take this bastard,_ Paul insisted. After all, he'd already rid him of an arm and was working on getting a leg to go with it.

Brady and Quil got Dreadlocks into a headlock and Embry yanked off a leg. The leech shrieked. Quil slammed his paw down onto its neck just as Jacob had done two minutes before.

It was at that moment that Jared and Collin, many miles away, finally arrived at Kim's house. _I'm going in to check on her_ , he said and didn't wait for Sam's approval before he did so.

 _I'm not picking up the female's scent_ , Collin thought, sniffling around the ground. _I lost it a while back._

Sam couldn't focus enough to formulate a response, so he just filed the information away in his brain. Jacob knocked Blondie off of his feet and Paul pounced on him. _Alright, Sam,_ Paul thought. His eyes were full of confidence as he lifted his head to submit to his Alpha, keeping his entire weight on the leech to prevent an escape. _Do you want to do the honors?_ He gestured to Dreadlocks' head to clarify that he meant for it to be ripped off.

Satisfaction replaced the worry that had squeezed Sam's stomach the entire evening. His paw landed over the vampire's dead, silent, unmoving heart and the leech gurgled, jerking violently in an attempt to get free.

For the first time, both vampires were flat on their backs at the same time. The wolves had the other hand, and now it was time to end it with one injury and no casualties.

And they would have. If Isabella Swan hadn't followed her gut and exited the safety of her house.

Sam smelt her before he saw her; the air was humid and damp and allowed her scent to spread quickly. He sucked in a deep breath and felt his stomach drop.

He turned, and his little mate stood tall and proud right smack-dab in the center of her lawn. The silver knife she clutched tightly in her hand was reflecting the light of the moon.

 _No,_ Sam thought. _No, Bella. NO!_

He saw her intentions before the rest of the pack did, but there was nothing he could do to stop her. She wrapped her palm around the blade of the knife and squeezed, cutting neatly into her fragile flesh. The humidity did the same to the scent of her blood as it had the scent of her skin, so it only took a moment for the smell to hit their sensitive noses.

In a way, Bella was helpful. Both Dreadlocks and Blondie immediately stopped jerking around and froze, nostrils flaming at the scent. Taking the opportunity his imprint had provided, Sam and Jacob knocked their heads off in synchronization.

Things would have been fine if Collin had done his job. Bella could get a band aid for her cut, Sam could wrap her in his arms, Seth would rest on the couch until he healed, and the rest of the pack could go after the female. Except they didn't _have_ to go after the female.

She'd come after them.

So in a way, Sam having to watch the redheaded leech break through the trees and shoot straight towards his mate was all Collin's fault.

Paul, the quickest member of the pack, took off at the same time Sam and Jacob did. The others started to dismember the rest Dreadlocks and Blondie, but Sam didn't care about that. His entire body was throbbing as his mate's life was being threatened right before his eyes.

From some points of view, Paul got to Bella just in time. From Sam's, he was a moment too late. Paul's body slammed into the redhead's and stopped her from sinking her teeth into Bella's neck, but he'd left her just enough time to swipe a hand out and connect with Bella's body in another way. The leech scraped her long, sharpened fingernails right over Bella's abdominal area, shredding her T-shirt and breaking through to her skin.

 _No, no, no, no_. Sam's entire world fell apart.

Bella fell to the ground in a heap, clutching at her body as the blood instantly started to seep from the wound. Sam skidded to a stop as he hovered over her, planting one paw on either side of her face, just in time to see Bella's eyes drooping. She squinted up at him, confused, whimpering but not crying. A small, weak smile touched her lips and she stretched her uncut palm up to wrap her fingers in the fur at Sam's neck. "Sammy," she whispered, the words barely making a sound, and then her eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

 **ATTENTION: IMPORTANT THINGS IN THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

 **I know I'm a few days late with this chapter, and I apologize for making you all wait. Sometimes life just gets in the way. If you knew what kind of week I've had, you'd sympathize for me.**

 **This chapter was a little difficult for me to write. I just couldn't get it to be where I'm satisfied with it, but I decided this is what it is.**

 **So, now you all know for SURE which vampires are the problem (hopefully you can figure that out by the descriptions and Sam's nicknames for them). Next, we have to find out WHY they were a problem and what their deal was. That's coming up, I promise!**

 **Remember that one-shot I've been talking about for the past umpteen chapters? It's finally posted! It's called _The Mechanics of Love_. Please, please check it out! I would love to have your feedback. **

**********I've done some planning out, and I think we're down to three more chapters plus an epilogue. I've had a few questions about my future projects. Yes, I will be writing another Bella/wolf story after _Temptation's Reputation_ is finished. Actually, the first chapter is already in motion. The only problem is that I've also been working on a Bella/vampire story as well, and I haven't decided which one I'll be posting first. I'd like to do them both at the same time, but I don't think my life will allow weekly updates to two stories when I can barely handle one. I guess we'll see what the future brings. **

**As always, thank you all for your lovely feedback and for waiting so patiently for my updates! I so appreciate you all.**

 **See you in Chapter Seventeen.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Chapter Seventeen**

Charlie's voice was the first that Bella heard. "I just don't understand," Charlie croaked. "Vampires and werewolves . . ."

Bella couldn't move or open her eyes, but she knew she was in a bed, wrapped snuggly in freshly-washed sheets. She couldn't feel her body; it was like she was floating on a cloud, hovering above her body like a ghost. But she knew she wasn't dead. She'd felt this way once before, and knew it was because of a very effecting pain medication – the same she'd been given at age eight after she'd broken her leg in a bicycle accident.

"I know it's a lot to take in." Sam's deep rumbling base responds. He must have picked up on the way her heartbeat quickened at the sound of it, because warm fingers closed around her hand. She wished she could squeeze back, but she couldn't find her fingers. "Bella reacted more proactively than you when we told her."

"What do you mean?"

Sam chuckled a little, but the sound was off. He wasn't laughing out of humor; perhaps there wasn't any humor left for him to give. "She didn't ask questions – she just ran away." He started to trail his fingertips lightly up and down the back of Bella's hand. It was comforting to her. "Eventually, she came around and let me inside to explain, but she didn't really ask any questions until I mentioned imprinting."

Charlie cleared his throat. "I think _imprinting_ is the only thing I really understand. I mean – look at you, Sam."

Oh, Bella wished she could. She would give anything to be able to see through the darkness of her eyelids and look at his beautiful, handsome face.

Sam let out a deep, exhausted sigh. The bed next to Bella dipped, and she pictured him resting his elbows on the mattress, folding his hands over his eyes. She hoped his shoulders weren't slumped in depression – she didn't want him to be sad.

"You haven't slept for days," Charlie continued. "You're not eating, even though Sue's casserole has to be the best damn smelling casserole on the planet. Sue says Bella's gonna be just fine, but you still won't leave her side. The shape of your ass is permanently indented in that chair. You told me she's everything to you, and you can't live without her. I'll be honest, at first, I thought you were exaggerating, but now it's obvious that's true. You love her with everything you are."

Bella hadn't ever heard her father speak with such emotion, and she would have had tears in her eyes if she could open them.

"She's going to heal, Charlie." Sam huffed. "But she'll never be _fine_ again."

 _What do you mean?_ she wanted to shout. _What have I missed?_

"What I don't understand is why these vampires were after her in the first place," Charlie grumbled.

 _Finally!_ Bella wanted to jump for joy. Maybe now she would get answers.

"It's not that they were after Bella specifically," Sam responded. His voice was so sad and defeated, and Bella wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. "She was collateral damage."

"The Alpha's mate," Charlie guessed, hesitating a little with the terminology.

A warm thumb rubbed gently against Bella's cheek, and a moment later, a familiar pair of lips followed. Bella's heart fluttered, and she felt an extra puff of air hit her skin at his chuckle. "Yes. These vampires obviously knew a lot about werewolf packs – Billy thinks they'd been studying us for a while before making their presence known because they didn't show themselves until after I imprinted."

"But _why_?" Charlie pressed. "Why did they want to end the wolf pack so badly?"

"It's not exactly uncommon," Sam said. "Vampires are really into competition. It's their nature to go after a challenge, so when they see the pack defending one specific area of land – one specific area of people – suddenly that's where they want to feed. And if they want to feed there, they know they have to defeat us." He paused. "So I guess the answer is that they saw a challenge in us defending our people, and they wanted to prove that they were stronger." This time, his laugh was legitimate. "We proved them wrong."

"So this has happened before?" Charlie asked. "There have been other groups of . . . of vampires that have tried to . . . to kill the pack?" He still struggled with using the vocabulary that he'd been told all his life wasn't real, just as Bella had in the beginning of her relationship with Sam.

"Yes, it has. But they've never been able to succeed in the past, and they definitely never got as close as they did last week." An underlying anger trickled into his tone, and she pictured his expression darkening evilly. "I can't believe I let them get as close to her as they did."

 _Last week?_ How long had Bella been unconscious? She tried again to find her voice, but her throat was too raw and her lungs were weak, not allowing any more than the necessary shallow breathing that kept her alive.

"They were smart," Sam said grudgingly, like the words tasted like vinegar on his tongue. "To wait and use the Alpha's imprint against us. They had to have known how important she is to the entire pack." His lips pressed against Bella's forehead.

"But they didn't get to her, Sam," Charlie insisted. "You stopped them."

"Not before they ruined her life." It was a broken whisper.

Charlie didn't say anything.

Bella felt sleep start to tug at her consciousness and tried to fight it, but eventually the exhaustion clouded over her body and she drifted away once again.

* * *

 **The next time** Bella awoke, her eyes sprung open effortlessly, and she found herself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She wasn't in her bedroom, she realized. She wasn't in her house at all.

Instantly, her hands moved to the mattress, her intentions to pull herself up to a sitting position, but two warm, calloused hands were there to stop her, pressing down gently on her sides to keep her horizontal. "Don't move," a voice ordered gently. "You'll rip your stiches open."

Bella turned her head to see Jacob's eyes staring down at her. "J-Jake," she whispered.

"Bells," he breathed a whisper full of relief. He gently laid his hand on her stomach until she pressed her shoulders back against the pillow. "Thank God," he said.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"You scared the crap out of me, that's what happened," he said, his voice still too soft for his scolding to be taken seriously.

Bella glanced away. "I just . . . I just remember seeing . . . seeing a wolf lying on the ground . . . and he wasn't moving," she mumbled. "A gray wolf. Little."

"Seth," Jacob provided. "He was injured. But he's fine now. He's all healed up."

Bella sniffled. "That must be nice – getting better so quickly." She glanced down at the giant bandage around her waist and frowned. "What's my synopsis?"

Jacob's eyebrows pulled together and he hesitated. "I think you should have that talk with Sam."

Bella's heart fluttered. "Where is –" she started to ask, but then she realized it would be rude to Jacob to imply that his presence wasn't enough. But Bella suddenly felt an incredible longing in her chest – a desire to see him and hold him in her arms and know he was okay.

Jacob smirked a little. "Even beat up and bruised you can't keep your mind off of him," he teased, but then seemed to realize that they weren't exactly in a joking situation and sobered, all humor evaporating as his face dropped into an intense stare. "Jared and Paul finally managed to get him out of this room. A week without phasing can really mess with you."

"A week?" Bella repeated. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't leave your side, Bella," he answered. "He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He barely ate, and the only sleep he got was when his eyelids finally got too heavy that he couldn't hold them open anymore. He's a mess, Bella." He shrugged. "But you waking up will make things better. Just seeing you lie there so still makes his wolf crazy with anxiety."

They were both silent as Bella processed that.

"Where am I?" she asked out of the blue.

"The Clearwaters' guest bedroom."

Bella was sure her eyes had never gone as wide as they did in that moment. She stared at him, hoping he could see through her expression that she thought he was crazy. "Excuse me?" There was no way Sam would bring her here – not after all their recent events.

Jacob wrinkled his nose. "We didn't really have much of a choice. We couldn't take you to the hospital – how would we have explained your injuries? We couldn't say a crazy redheaded vampire wanted to kill you to break the will of the local werewolf pack's Alpha by hurting his mate, but she couldn't get close enough to actually do so, so instead she slashed her fingernails into your stomach because that's all she could reach." He shrugged. "Sue's the unofficial nurse of the pack. She can take care of you just like a nurse would at Forks Regional, and it's easier for you to be here instead of her having to go to your house ten times a day to check on you. Charlie's been spending the evenings here with you, but we told him not to take any time off work."

"What did you tell him? How did you explain this?"

"We told him the truth."

Bella sighed. She'd heard a little, of course, but wanted to know what she'd missed. "And?"

Jacob grinned. "He took it better than _you_ did."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Did you phase in front of him?" When he shook his head, she poked him roughly in the arm. "Then you can't compare his reaction to mine. There is _nothing_ like watching your best friend turn into a giant snarling wolf right in front of your eyes."

"Alright, I'll give you that," he said. "You're right. It's different."

"Bella."

Bella's stomach instantly clenched at the voice. When she turned her head, Sam's eyes pierced into hers and she forgot about Jacob entirely. Hell, she forgot how to breathe. Suddenly all she could think about was having his arms wrapped around her.

"Oh, Bella," he breathed and marched forward determinedly. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw Jacob step back and out of the way, but she didn't tear her attention away from the beautiful man whose gaze was trained on her face. Sam dropped to his knees at the side of her bed and took her hands in his. The heat of his skin warmed Bella's entire body. "Baby. I was so worried."

"I'll go tell Sue that you're awake." Jacob's voice was muted, barely registering in Bella's mind as he exited quietly.

She reached out to brush her fingers against his cheek. When she touched him, his eyes closed and pressed the side of his face onto her palm. His hair was messy and tousled, and Bella knew he'd just phased. "I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Sam's eyes widened and he shook his head, dropping his shoulders so he could lean closer to her face. "No, baby, no. _You_ don't be sorry. It's my fault. It's all my –"

"It is _not_ ," Bella murmured. She scratched her nails through his hair, and he subconsciously scooted even closer to her, moving to rest his arms on either side of her waist. "I'm the one who panicked. I'm the one who – who –"

"We both made mistakes," he interrupted gently. "I let those bastards get too close to your house, and you tried to sacrifice yourself to the redheaded bloodsucker." He shook his head, expression somber. "That's all in the past now, and it doesn't matter anymore. What _does_ matter is that you're safe." He bent to press a kiss to her forehead. "And healing." He kissed her nose. "And _mine_." Their lips met in a passionate kiss, but just as Bella was hoping it would deepen, Sam stiffened and pulled back. His eyebrows pulled together and he stared down at her. Bella could read the hesitation mixing with longing in his eyes. "I don't want to hurt you, baby. You're in a very fragile physical state right now."

Bella's heart sank a little. After the past few weeks and all of the challenges the two had overcame together, she'd finally felt ready to take the next step with him. She _knew_ it was driving him crazy that they hadn't slept together yet – werewolves are extremely territorial and possessive – and she and Kim had spent much time together discussing what making love actually means to them. Bella wanted to be bonded to Sam, body and soul. She was ready for that commitment, but she couldn't very well tell him that while she was still healing.

She knew how much he wanted her. She wasn't a stranger to the way he reacted to her body; often, his arousal would be the termination of their intense, passionate kissing. It would be cruel of her to tell him he could finally have her when he definitely couldn't. Not yet.

"It doesn't hurt," she mumbled, gesturing weakly to the white gauze that apparently Sue Clearwater had wrapped around her waist and hips.

Sam scoffed. "That's because Sue gave you great medication."

"What happened?" she asked tentatively. "I mean . . . what's the damage?"

Sam closed his eyes. "She tore right through your skin," he breathed, "with her _freaking fingernails_. Razor-sharp teeth and life-ending venom, and you get injured by the same part of the body that middle school girls paint purple with pink _freaking_ polka dots." His eyes flamed, nostrils flaring as he attempted to control his frustration. A slight tremble took hold of his hands, but Bella knew she didn't have to fear him phasing – not so close to her, and _definitely_ not while she was injured. She could tell by the way he said "freaking," he really wanted to say something else, but he was too much of a gentleman to use such language around Bella.

Not that, in that moment, Bella would have minded a little F-bomb. It certainly matched her feelings towards the redheaded monster.

"She sliced right through your uterus," he continued. "She had to do some internal stitching before she closed the wound on the outside." He stared down at the cream-colored bandage in dismay, his thumb absently tracing circles on the back of her hand. "That's why you have to be extra careful. If you tear them open, you'll have internal bleeding."

Bella nodded, panic seeping into her chest. "Slicing through your uterus" didn't sound very good. "What . . . what will happen when I'm healed?" she asked hesitantly.

His sad eyes lifted to her, reading the direction of her thoughts. He didn't make her ask the question. "Sue thinks you'll still be able to get pregnant when you – uh, we – decide to have kids. No damage was done to your ovaries, and your uterus should heal nicely as long as you don't tear it before that can happen."

A weight lifted off of Bella's chest and she sucked in a breath of relief. She'd always wanted to be a mother; deep in her heart she knew she would be good at raising a child, and that desire for a baby had certainly increased since she met Sam. "That's great news," she said.

He kissed the spot right under her ear that always sent shivers down her spine. "I thought so, too. The Alpha werewolf always has an inheritor. Not that our children will ever become the Alpha."

Bella frowned. "What do you mean? Isn't it kind of a job that's passed down from father to son?"

Sam tapped his fingers nervously against his thigh. "Well, yes. That's how it works. The first born son of the Alpha takes over when his father stops phasing."

"Then why wouldn't our son take your place?"

He bit his lip. "I told the council I think Jacob is ready to take over."

Bella's heart stopped.

Sam didn't seem to notice. "The ceremony will be in a month, and I'll step down from the position. Then Jacob can step up and claim his place." He sighed.

"B-but . . . _why_?"

He gave her a confused look. "Bella, I almost lost you. Forever." He paused, but when she continued to stare at him with a blank look of shock, he added, "I'm going with you to Arizona."

" _What_?" Bella was sure her eyes were popping out of their sockets.

He didn't pick up on her alarm. "Bella, I love you. I'm not going to leave your side, whether that takes me to Phoenix or Seattle or New York or freaking Nashville, I'll go with you. Seeing you lying there on the ground, bleeding, unconscious . . ." He shook his head. "It changed me, Bella. Permanently. I'll never think the same again. I want to see you follow your dreams, Bella, and your dreams are in Arizona, so that's where we'll go."

For a moment, Bella couldn't think of any response. She needed to word her answer very carefully, so the thought for a long minute before she replied. She tugged on his hair gently, peering up at him through her eyelashes. "You're the perfect man for wanting to support me, Sam. And I know that, without a doubt, you are my perfect match. We're meant to be together forever. But I don't think we're meant to go to Arizona."

"What?" he interrupted. "But you said –"

"I know what I said," she acknowledged. "And at the time, I meant it. But that was before I saw you _really_ be the Alpha. When you left my room, and I begged you not to leave me, you were so . . . determined. You were going to help and support your pack, even though I knew you didn't want to leave me behind. Sam, the University of Phoenix was a desire of mine before I came here – before I met you. But _knowing_ you – you've changed me completely. Don't you see that? Before you, I planned out _every freaking second_ of every day. Every Sunday, I picked my outfits out for the entire week. I never let the gas gage in my truck get lower than a quarter-tank. I _hated_ surprises and unexpected visits and anything that I didn't have control over." She laughed a little, but the motion left an ache around her midsection and she quickly stopped. "And now look at me! I'm making spontaneous decisions like walking into the middle of a battle between a coven of vampires and a pack of werewolves with a kitchen knife in my hand, ready to draw my own blood to save the lives of my boyfriend and his friends. I don't feel like the same girl I was at the beginning of this summer, Sam, and that's because I'm not."

Sam opened his mouth to interrupt, but Bella didn't let him.

"I'm the Alpha's mate now, Sam," she said definitively. "This is where we belong – here, in Forks, in La Push. _Both_ of us."

"But, you wanted to go to Arizona so badly," he whispered in disbelief.

Bella shook her head. "I always felt like I belonged in Arizona more than I belong here. But that's different now – I have a place here. With _you_. With _the pack_. We belong right here, Sam. Before, I was too naïve to open my eyes and understand that, but now I do. I get it. If we leave here, we'll be happy with _each other_ , but we won't be happy with our surroundings. Something would always be missing. Or I guess I should say _someone_. Multiple someone's, actually. Paul and Jacob and Jared and Seth and Embry and Quil and Collin and Brady. This is a family, and we're a part of it."

"Don't say this because you think it's what I want, Bella." He looked away. "Don't change your plans for your future because of me."

"That's the point, Sam," she said, exasperated. "I _want_ to change my plans. I changed my mind. I don't _want_ to go Arizona. I want to stay here. I'm not that Bella anymore. Now I'm _your_ Bella. The new and improved version." She brushed a hand against his cheek. "I'm not changing my mind _for_ you, Sam. I'm changing it _because_ of you."

"That's the same thing," he argued stubbornly. "Bella, I don't want you giving up your future for me."

"No, it's different," Bella insisted. "I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. I want to do this. I want to stay here. I was already thinking about it before that attack even happened; the fight just reinforced that I'd made the right decision. _This is my choice_ , and I'm happy with it."

"Bella –"

"I'm making this choice for me," she said finally. "I know I'll be happier here than in Arizona because I'll be surrounded by the most trustworthy, loyal, protective family I could possibly have. And that's all I have to say about the subject."

He was still staring at her with skepticism etched all over his face, but something in her tone and words must have convinced him of her honesty. His lips pulled up in a brilliant smile. "Really? We're staying here?"

Bella giggled and nodded. "Yes, we're staying here!"

"You'd better be staying here," Jacob teased from the doorway.

Bella's smile faded. "Oh, Jake. But the Alpha position is yours."

Jacob shook his head. "Oh, please, Bella. I might be the grandson of the _last_ Alpha, but that doesn't mean I'm meant to follow in his footsteps. I don't want to be Alpha, and I never have." He jerked his chin in Sam's direction. "That's all you, man. You're good at it."

"Yes, he is."

The agreement came from the hallway. Jacob turned and stepped to the side, and Harry Clearwater stood with his hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders scrunched. It was a submissive gesture, Bella realized. Harry Clearwater was finally showing Sam the respect he deserved.

Harry leaned awkwardly against the doorframe, staring Sam right in the face. "He's the best Alpha this pack has seen in generations." Behind him, Sue was hovering nervously, glancing at Bella over her husband's shoulder.

Sam stood from his position kneeling next to Bella's bed. "Excuse me?"

"I owe you two an apology," Harry continued solemnly. He glanced at Bella. "Bella – I judged you too harshly. I thought that, because you're not a born member of this tribe, you couldn't possibly be as good for the pack as one of us. But I was very, very wrong."

Bella felt her eyes widen, but no one dared to say a word. No one wanted to interrupt this unexpected admission of guilt.

"What you did – imitating the Third Wife the way you did – that's something only a true Alpha's mate would have and could have done," he continued. "You deserve to stand next to Sam as the Alpha's mate. You have all of my respect."

Sam stood violently still, his arms tense at his sides, so Bella took over. "Thank you, Harry. That means a lot to hear you say that."

Everyone stood in shocked silence until Jacob whooped. "Well, alright then. Now that we've decided that Bella and Sam are staying in Washington to be the next power couple, can we discuss the elephant in the room?" All eyes shifted to him, and he grinned. "Sam has _totally_ turned into a giant, whipped, obedient little puppy dog!"

"Hey now," Sam called teasingly. "Don't forget I can assign you to permanent nighttime patrols."

"Bella, would you mind if I did a quick examination?" Sue spoke up. "I just want to make sure you're vitals are still normal. You were unconscious for a very long time."

Bella nodded. "Of course. Thank you – I really appreciate you taking care of me."

Sue waved her off. She moved to wrap the cuff that would measure her blood pressure around her arm. "You're part of this pack, Bella. It didn't seem like it would be that way from the beginning, but it certainly worked out for the best, and we're all grateful for that.

Bella grinned sheepishly. "I guess Sam was just a temptation I couldn't resist."

* * *

 **Thoughts? Emotions?**

 **Next chapter will be the final chapter, and then a few days later I will post a short epilogue. Both will be fluffy and bring you all closure.**

 **A few of you are still wondering if the Cullens will be making an appearance, and to be honest with you, I really didn't have the answer until now. The answer is no, and now I know why. This story always felt like it was Sam and Bella's story, not Sam and Bella and Edward's story. The Cullens didn't have a place in it, and I didn't see that until I finished this chapter. They just weren't part of Bella and Sam's story.**

 **I am leaning towards having a Bella/vampire story as my next project. I've been in the world of the wolves for so long and I absolutely LOVE it, so I definitely will be returning to it after my Bella/vampire story is finished. I ask that all of you please keep a lookout on my profile for new one-shots and stories. If you're interested in pairings with Bella and Cullen, I would love for you to join me in the new world that I will be introducing very soon!**

 **As always, thank you all for the lovely reviews. You've kept me going with this story when I had the toughest of writers block, and you are the reason I'm finishing it. I'm proud of this story, and I'm proud of myself, and I owe that to you all for your positive encouragement and constant support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will be so sad when I post the final update, which is a good sign for you all. It means that a sequel might be in our future - the _DISTANT, DISTANT, DISTANT_ future. But it could happen. **

**See you in Chapter Eighteen.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **One of my fantastic reviewers asked me a very good question that I think needs to be answered for all to see, just in case anyone else has any confusion. I want you all to feel complete closure at the end of this chapter.**

 **Q: Why does Sam say that Bella will never be fine again if Bella is going to heal, have children, etc?**

 **A: Sam is referring to the mental/emotional changes that will occur to her after the traumatic experience she's had. He expects her to be a lot more shaken up and full of anxiety than she actually is, though. He underestimates her - she's the Alpha's mate, after all. She's strong. He just doesn't realize that until she wakes up. Basically, he's just being a bit over dramatic. You'll see Bella's strength in this chapter and understand that she's all good.**

 **Well, almost every book has the** _ **Where Are They Now?**_ **chapter, and for Temptation's Reputation, this is that chapter. Here we go – hope it's happy and fluffy and brings you the conclusion everyone needs when a novel is finishing! Don't worry – we still have the Epilogue.**

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **The wind blew** Bella's hair back out of her face as she let the screen door to Jacob's redbrick house swing shut behind her. Jacob's backyard was booming with enthusiasm and happiness. Everyone was excited.

This was a celebration.

Ten months without a vampire on werewolf territory.

They'd been celebrating every month, but by far this one was the most significant.

As her eyes traveled around the small yard, Bella felt a completeness, a satisfaction settle inside her. There they were, barbequing in the Blacks' backyard as they had been just a few months earlier. They'd come full circle. And not just Bella and Sam – the entire pack.

"Paul!" The scolding came from Kim, who was sitting a bowl of fruit salad onto the picnic table. Paul's swift fingers had snatched up a grape before it had touched the wood. "If you keep stealing the food before we eat, there won't be any left for anyone else!"  
Paul shrugged. "Every man for himself, honey. First rule of survival."

Jared shook his head. "Are you hitting on my imprint? I'm not sure I like this new nickname of yours." He bent to press a kiss against Kim's forehead.

"Of course not," Paul retorted. "I've got my own girl." He paused. "Or, at least, I _will_."

"Oh, please," Brady laughed. "Are you still pining after that waitress at Barney's? You don't have a chance in hell with a classy girl like that."

"Oh, yeah?" Paul spat. "We'll see."

Bella turned back to her own job, shaking her head at their teasing. She peeled a piece of cheese off of the chunk and placed it neatly on top of a sizzling burger. Next to her, Jacob flipped another and rotated the hot dogs while he waited for her to repeat her job.

Jacob glanced towards his kitchen, expression weary. "What do you think they're talking about in there?" Billy, Harry, Quil Ateara I, and Sam were having a _private meeting_ in the Blacks' living room. They'd been cooped up in there longer than any of them had expected, and no one really knew what to make of that. It was odd to think of the four of them getting along – the Council and the Alpha, not only coexisting but connecting and agreeing. For three years, Sam had defied the Council any chance he'd gotten. Now that Jacob had officially relinquished any possible claim to the Alpha position that he could ever have, Sam was the pack's permanent leader and had decided he needed to make changes to his habits for the good of the pack.

Not to mention that Sam knew what it was like to almost watch his imprint die and he wasn't going to let that happen. If listening to the input and suggestions from the Council would help him to make more well-informed decisions with the pack, he was willing to put his emotions behind him and move forward with his best foot in front of him.

"You're the one with the super-wolf hearing," Bella retorted, nudging Jacob in the elbow. " _You_ should be telling _me_ , not _asking_ me."

He picked up a new paper plate and started layering more burgers on it. Bella couldn't hold back a giggle. "What?" he demanded.

She shook her head. "We're making enough burgers to feed this entire _town_ , and they're going to be scarfed down in less than twenty minutes."

"This is a _celebration_ , Bella!" Quil called from where he was crouching next to the cooler full of soda cans. "We're _celebrating_ not having to run around in the dark and the rain and the mud and the trees for _ten whole months_."

Seth walked up with his arms full of containers with silverware and a hearty supply of condiments. Leah and Sue had originally only been in charge of dessert, but upon seeing how utterly unorganized Billy and Jacob were with their get-together planning, they'd quickly grabbed ahold of the reins. Poor Seth hadn't stood a chance at avoiding the carry-out duty. "Ten months is, like, a record," he declared. He lined the mustard and ketchup up neatly next to the forks on the picnic table. "An all-time record."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kim's sudden squeal had Bella turning around in a rush, but for no reason. Jared had her around her waist and was twirling her around, laughing in her ear as she hollered playfully and grasped at his arm for stability.

Embry and Collin had their fists up and shoulders squared like boxers did before the countdown, but Bella knew they were just messing around. Paul was leaning against an apple tree with his arms propped on his bent knees, watching the screen on his phone like he was waiting for some sort of response – maybe a text message from his latest attraction.

Everyone was perfectly at ease. Deep inside her heart, Bella knew it wouldn't last forever. _Eventually_ some vampire coven hell bent on destroying the wolf pack and claiming La Push for it's own would show up and send everyone into chaos. She wasn't trying to jinx them; it was inevitable, and everyone knew it.

But for that moment – that day, in that backyard, with that family and those little bursts of laughter – no one was thinking about the future.

They were only thinking of the _now_.

Out of the blue, a pair of warm hands slid around Bella's waist and settled on her hips. She smiled and leaned her head back on Sam's shoulder. Secretly, she had her _own_ reason to celebrate. She turned her head to press her lips against his jaw. "I thought your meeting was never going to end," she complained, stretching up on tiptoe to run her hands up his chest and tangle her arms around his thick neck. Next to her, Jacob mocked her, pretending to gag at her public affection. She turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

Sam growled playfully. "Hey, if you're jealous," he teased, "that's your problem." Despite his words, he grabbed Bella's waist and nudged her towards a more secluded, underpopulated section of the yard. Sam sat down on the newly green, spring grass and tugged on Bella's hand until she settled herself into his lap.

"So, what are you doing tonight?" she whispered.

He glanced down at her, confused. "What do you mean? I'm going to be here."

" _All night_?" she emphasized.

He wasn't catching the hint. "Um . . . yes," he said, frowning. He blinked. "Why?"

Bella looked down shyly at her toes, wiggling them against the soft grass that wedged between her flip flops and felt her heartbeat quicken with her nerves. "Well . . . I was just thinking . . . maybe you could come back to my house with me. Charlie's working late."

"I thought we'd stay for the bonfire tonight," he said, still clueless. And then, eyes wide with shock: " _Oh._ " His fingers flexed on her hips as if she'd suddenly caught fire and burned him.

Bella felt her cheeks blush now that he'd caught her drift. She twisted her fingers anxiously and swallowed. Her blood was pounding loudly in her ears, vibrating all the way down to her toes and through her fingertips. After a few seconds of him saying absolutely nothing, nausea settled in Bella's stomach as she pictured the rejection that was sure to come to her.

The callous on the pads of his fingertips rubbed uncomfortably against the fragile skin underneath her chin as he urged her to lift her gaze to hers, but Bella didn't see it that way. Sam's touch was always welcome and shiver-inducing. Her brown eyes met his and the pink on her cheeks turned red. "Bella," he murmured, "are you serious?" He stepped back and pulled back.

She panicked at his retreat and sucked in a breath through her teeth and felt the hair on her arms raise with embarrassment. "I-I . . . Sam, I –"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he breathed. His breath washed over her face sweetly and she blinked against it.

Her heart stopped, but she nodded anyway. "Yes," she responded gently. "I'm ready, Sam." She made herself _perfectly_ clear by wrapping her hands around his neck and pressing her front to him suggestively. She kissed him, a chaste kiss that would have been far more passionate if the entire pack hadn't been surrounding them with their chatter and laughter.

Sam was more aware of the werewolves watching on than Bella was and gently leaned back and placed his hands on either side of her face, leaning down to rub his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. "There's no rush," he told her. "Don't feel like you _have_ to –"

"Shh," she hushed him, cutting him off with a finger to his lips. "I know. I want this. I want you." She brushed his hair away from his eyes and blinked innocently up at him. "I want to be with you for real, Sam. I want to solidify our bond. I want to really be yours." When she stood and removed herself from his arms, it was like walking out of her own private world and returning to an overcrowded one as she reentered the chaos of the pack gathering.

Sam just stood rooted in place like an idiot as he watched her go, stunned at the direction that conversation had gone in. Of _course_ Sam wanted to make love to her. Sometimes, as they were cuddled close next to the heating vent under a blanket and watching a movie . . .

. . . or sitting face-to-face in a romantic, serene restaurant having a fancy dinner Sam had to work overtime for a month to afford . . .

. . . or on the evenings when he catapulted himself up the side of her house and through her bedroom window _just_ so he could check on her after a night of patrols . . .

. . . or when they were so intensely trapped in a passionate kiss that Sam couldn't imagine ever breaking away from . . .

Those were the moments when Sam couldn't think of anything _but_ making love to her. Hell, it was his most raw, feral instinct and he'd been subduing it for a year. Not that he hadn't found release during those first twelve months with his mate.

But his mate was surrounded by werewolves _constantly_ , every _single_ day, and not having Sam's scent hovering around her was slowly tearing away at his self-control. Sam wanted Bella to be ready, but more importantly he wanted her to be _absolutely sure_ that she was ready, so he'd kept his mouth shut and decided to wait for her to come to him.

And now she had.

Suddenly staying for that bonfire had gotten a little less important to him.

* * *

 **The bonfire was** much like the first Bella had attended with the pack. Billy stole most of the attention as he retold the stories and legends, his eyes lit up with the same fire that he'd before, even with a years' time in between. Bella knew he was just as animated, just as excited to be speaking each time he assumed the role of the storyteller.

When the tale of Taha Aki morphed into that of the Third Wife, Jacob jokingly elbowed Bella in the ribs. "Hey, Dad," he interrupted. Next to him, Quil and Embry were already cracking up, guessing Jacob's next words before he even said them. "Maybe you should skip this part. We don't want to give Bella anymore inspiration for her suicidal tendencies."

"Shut up," Bella teased, swatting at him from within the comfortable circle of Sam's arms.

"Not a chance," Jacob laughed. "I'm never gonna let this go. You will be embarrassed by your stupid actions for the rest of your life." He smirked at her. "That's what best friends are for."

"What Bella did was brave and courageous," Leah piped up. Next to her, Seth made the face that all little brothers make when their sister is near. "You shouldn't make fun of her for that. Bella and Leah's friendship had certainly blossomed after the vampire attack. Now, Bella, Kim, and Leah were almost inseparable.

Sam sighed heavily, but a smile was playing on his lips. He was finally getting past the seriousness of that situation and accepting that Bella had gotten healthy again. She was fine, and while her uterus was still healing, it would be fully functioning by the time was even ready to _consider_ getting pregnant and starting a family.

She'd have to have sex first, but that was beside the point.

Billy went along with his son's joke. "Yes, it would be a good idea for our future pack mother to _not_ be fatally injured."

"One day we'll need her to make dinner for us all," Harry added. It was funny how just ten months prior, Bella would have been offended by Harry's teasing. That wasn't to say that the tension didn't still exist between them – Sam and Harry had such a negative past that it would be impossible to forget about it all – but things were better. Bella's place as the Alpha's mate wasn't challenged anymore, perhaps the reason Sam had let his guard drop _just_ a little.

Bella hadn't actually been given her duties as the pack mother, but it was a role she was looking forward to having. A role that she would feel at home in, and finally she could fit in.

"So . . . when are we cutting Bella's cake?" Brady blurted randomly.

Bella sat up straighter. "Excuse me? Why on _earth_ do I have a cake?"

"Because Isabella Marie Swan is officially a high school graduate," Sue exclaimed, standing from her seat on the tree log, "and that is cake-worthy!" She patted Seth on the back and he hopped up, bounding immediately towards the kitchen door, presumably to retrieve the cake in question.

Bella sighed. "Really, that wasn't necessary."

"Perhaps it wasn't _necessary_ ," Sue responded, "but it's certainly _fun_."

"Don't ruin this for us with her anti-cake ways, Isabella," Embry scolded. Bella squinted at him and he threw his hands up defensively. "What? I'm just saying, we need cake."

* * *

 **Bella was glad** she'd remembered to flick on the porch light before she'd left that evening because it was pitch black when Sam and Bella pulled into her driveway. Sam, always the gentleman, opened her door for her and lifted her out, carrying her until he could set her own on the welcome mat.

She unlocked the door with shaking hands and flinched at the protesting creak it let out when it swung open. Sam turned the hall light on while Bella waltzed into the living room to dispose of her purse. When she spun around, he was there.

 _Right_ there.

Even though the only light that illuminated his face was shining dimly from the hallway, Bella could see that his eyes weren't their usual chocolate. They were darkened by his lust; the same lust that was written all over his face, the raw desire that had his muscles tensing in anticipation. His eyes matched his wolf – black with dominance, and the idea had parts of Bella tingling that she hadn't ever felt before.

Their faces were barely an inch apart. Bella could feel the heat from his arms surrounding her body and wanted to feel them wrapped around her, but he was holding himself back, avoiding any physical contact with her. "Bella," he whispered in the darkness. "I just have to be sure. Is this what you want, or is this what you think I want?"

Bella shook her head. "I love you, Sam. I want you. I'm ready – I want to be with you for _real_."

Slowly, exaggeratedly, he lifted a hand to caress her cheek lovingly, bending to press a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, too," he responded. "More than I ever thought possible."

Her trembling fingers were wrapped in his warm ones and he pulled her closer, pressing her right up against him where she could feel _all_ of him. "Kiss me," she ordered.

He smiled. "Of course." Then he did.

And he didn't stop.

Eventually he must have gotten tired of standing because he started nudging her thighs backwards with his until the backs of her calves met the couch. Sam lifted her easily without separating their lips and laid her down on the cushions, stretching himself out on top of her.

Bella knew Sam had experience – not as much as Paul, but enough to be a little intimidating. She just had to forget about that, remember that he was made for her. For _her_ , not for anyone else. He belonged to her, and she to him. Two halves of one whole finally joining.

And suddenly she wasn't so nervous anymore. "You'll have to be gentle with me," she breathed as he trailed kisses down the side of her neck. His hands grasped her bottom and pressed her closer. "Sue said that even though I'm healed on the outside, I won't be entirely mended on the inside for another month or so." Her voice was breathy and weak, her thought process completely ruined by his tongue running over her jugular. If his hands hadn't been supporting her butt, her knees would have given out by then.

At her words, he pulled back slowly and frowned at her. "Did you think I wouldn't be gentle, Bella? Especially so with your first time?"

She blushed. "I-I . . . well, I was talking to Kim . . . a-and she said that sometimes . . ." She threw her arm over her face in embarrassment while her cheeks turned bright red. She was grateful she hadn't gotten around to turning the living room lamp on. "She said that sometimes Jared gets a little caught up and . . . and urgent," she blurted.

He kissed her gently right between her eyebrows, over to her right temple, and up to her hairline. "I'm not going to promise you that my wolf won't ever . . . take control while we're having sex," he began, "but that won't be until way, _way_ in the future, Bella, when I know you're comfortable." He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I'm going to make your first time as perfect as I possibly can, baby. I promised myself that a long time ago."

She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him down. "I know. I trust you. I love you."

Then they were kissing again and all talking was over. The more Sam's hands traveled over her body, the less nervous she felt. The knot in her stomach slowly loosened, and Sam seemed to sense when her body finally relaxed.

He sat back and lifted her again with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

His lips were attached to her neck, but Bella could still understand his mumble. "Your first time will not be perfect if it's on the couch in your father's living room."

Bella kissed him. "It'll be perfect no matter what. Because I'm with you."

"Oh, wow, you are packing on the cheesy lines today, aren't you?" he chuckled, taking the steps two at a time.

"It's not cheesy, it's romantic," she argued.

Suddenly serious, the smirk slid off of his face and he gazed lovingly at her. "I love you so much. My mate. My imprint."

If the two hadn't been completely, irrevocably in love with each other before completing their imprint, they absolutely were afterwards.

Later, as Bella lay in Sam's arms, his bare chest warm against hers, she had to giggle a little. So maybe she'd been planning their first time together for a while. Sam had changed her from the obsessive control freak she used to be to a slightly-spontaneous eighteen-year-old girl she was starting to become, but she was the Alpha's mate most of all. And an Alpha's mate deserved to have a little control sometimes.

"Hey, Sam?" she said.

"Hmm?" His voice was content, satisfied. Happy. All the emotions swirling through Bella's heart as well.

"I'm glad you're a werewolf," she said. Then she laughed. "As weird as that sounds."

He chuckled low in his throat. "You know what? So am I."

She propped herself up on her elbows and stared down at him where he was resting his head on her pillow. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded, playing with a strand of her hair. "Yeah. If I hadn't phased, I wouldn't have imprinted. And you'd probably be sitting in a movie theater with Jacob right now, watching some stupid comedy with his arm wrapped around the back of your seat and his cologne burning your nose."

Bella smiled. "I doubt _that_. But I agree. If your being a werewolf is what brought us together, then it has to be a good thing."

"Can I spend the night?" he asked.

Bella pursed her lips and pretended to contemplate the idea. "Okay. But one condition."

He raised his eyebrows, waiting.

"Go get me a piece of my Congratulations on Not Getting Killed by Evil Vampires Before Graduating High School cake?"

He grinned. "And so it begins."

Sitting in bed, cuddling with her soul mate, eating the most delicious chocolate cake she'd ever had, Bella couldn't think of a single regret. Except maybe doubting Sam for even a second. A reputation doesn't mean _anything_ unless you let it, and sometimes the most tempting of reputations are the best ones to have.

 _Sometimes._

 _ **The End.**_

* * *

 **Whew. I have to admit, I'm getting a little emotional.**

 **Once again - from the absolute bottom of my heart - THANK YOU for all of the support you've given to this story! I am continually amazed and touched at the positive response it has gotten.**

 **Hopefully the Epilogue will be up in a few days. It will be shorter than the chapters are, but it's one more way to say goodbye to this story and move on to the next.**

 **Just because this is the last chapter doesn't mean that review button doesn't work anymore ;).**

 **See you in the Epilogue.**


	19. Epilogue

**Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.**

 **Epilogue**

"Embry! Be _careful_ with that box!" Bella stood on Sam's front porch, her arms crossed over her chest. A light drizzle was adding just enough frizz to her hair to be annoying.

Embry leaned the box in question against the leather seat of her truck and tilted his head backwards to peer at her in dismay. "When I agreed to help you move into Sam's, I didn't know you'd have this much _stuff_."

"You were going to help her move into my house whether you agreed to or not." Sam's voice rumbled from above her head, raising goosebumps on Bella's arms. She stretched up on tiptoe and kissed his waiting lips.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Oh powerful mighty Alpha."

Sam chuckled and rubbed his hands over Bella's arms. "You're cold, baby. Go inside. I started a fire for you."

"Maybe you can grab a few boxes now," Jacob grunted as he appeared from the other side of the truck. He had four boxes in his arms that piled so high he had to lean backwards to keep them balanced. His footsteps crinkled in the gravel.

Paul brushed past Bella and skipped down the stairs, on his way back from carrying his own portion of Bella's things inside. "Oh, please. Sam's too worried about Bella's temperature dropping a degree to actually lift a finger and do some manual labor."

Sam's hands slid around his mate's waist and he pulled her close, so that her back was pressed against his front. Sam's lips pressed against her temple and he leaned down to whisper gently in her ear. "I promised Charlie that I'd take care of you. I can't go back on that promise before you've even spent one night in your new home."

Bella smiled, remembering. Charlie hadn't been thrilled at the original suggestion of the move, but Billy and Jacob had played an essential role in bringing him to accepting it. At first, Charlie had thought Bella and Sam were moving too quickly, becoming too serious and not thinking of the consequences that their current choices would have on their future. Billy eventually coaxed him into realizing that everything about Bella and Sam's relationship was serious and had been since the moment their eyes first met. And so there they were – the entire werewolf pack helping Bella move into Sam's cabin in La Push.

Jared leaned against the threshold and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Kim just called. Her class just ended and she and Leah are on their way here to help you . . . uh, 'girl-ify the Alpha's house.' Her exact words."

Bella smiled and rested her head against Sam's chest, exhaustion tugging on her eyelids. She wished she could lie down for a nap, but that would only send Sam into a worried frenzy. Lately her body had been almost dysfunctional, but her doctors all promised her it was all completely normal. Not that Sam believed them.

His hands protectively cupped her stomach. "How're my children doing in there?"

Oh, yes. Pregnancy had made him far more protective. Bella's being pregnant with _twins_ made him a little crazy, which was why Bella wasn't even allowed to help carry her own belongings inside. _Stress isn't good for the baby, and neither is heavy lifting._

Bella's pregnancy was just far enough along that her baby-bump was noticeable in almost anything she wore, and having two babies made it even more defined. It was terrifying to think that she would have a baby in her arms in four short months, but knowing how absolutely thrilled Sam was to be becoming a father made Bella excited, too. They'd gotten pregnant on purpose; starting their family had been Sam's initial suggestion. If Bella was being honest, children hadn't even been on Bella's radar until Sam had brought it up . . . after an evening of love making.

Sam was twenty-six years old, turning twenty-seven in just a month. In the past, Alpha's have stopped phasing at age forty-five, passing control of the pack down to his son. If Sam wanted to do that as well, their son would have to be of age. By the time Sam would be ready to retire, Theodore Evan Uley would be eighteen and ready to control the future werewolf pack of La Push. And Carolyn Elizabeth Uley would hopefully be following her own dreams.

Sam hadn't exactly approved of those names, but Bella wasn't going to back down. After all, it was _her_ body being taken over and ballooned up.

Bella rested her hands over Sam's. "They're just fine. Maybe a little hungry."

"That makes three of us," Quil called out. He was inside, watching the football game while he was supposed to be helping to lessen the load that the others had to carry.

Sam peeked his head around the corner and rolled his eyes at his pack-mate. "If you weren't so _frickin' lazy_ and you'd volunteered to go and _pick up_ the pizza instead of waiting for the sixteen-year-old, zit-faced delivery boy to bring it to _us_ , we'd have dinner by now."

Jacob bounded up the steps with his last load, the porch steps creaking under his weight. As he passed, he tossed Bella a grin. "I think most of these boxes are kitchen stuff. Want me to put them in there?"

"The dining room, I think," she told him.

Jared, who had been following behind the Beta with a bedside lamp and her color printer in his arms, paused. His eyebrows shot up. " _Sam Uley_ has a _dining room_?" he gasped, doubtful.

Bella giggled. "Well, not really – yet."

Jared chuckled. "Oh, right. I forgot – Mama Bear is taking over."

"You'd better watch out, Alpha. Your wolf den is about to be invaded," Brady teased. He and Collin were tossing a football around in the yard, carefree and relaxed. Somehow they'd managed to avoid move-in duty.

Collin hooted. "Tomorrow we're gonna show up and every wall will be pink!"

Everyone thought that was funny – even Sam, to Bella's surprise. His throaty laughter was still rumbling as he bent to kiss her cheek. "I don't care what my fu-" He cleared his throat. " – frickin' house looks like. As long as Bella is in it, I'll be happy. Overjoyed."

Bella's heart warmed. She reached up to rest her hands against his chest and batted her eyelashes innocently at him. "So you won't care if I put my purple polka-dotted toilet seat cover and matching shower curtain in the master bathroom?"

His eyes widened in mock-fear, his mouth dropping open. "Awe, jeez," he grumbled jokingly, "I can feel my masculinity falling to ruins at my feet already." He kissed the tip of her nose to emphasize his mischief.

Jacob, now hands-free and spunky, strutted back outside and onto the porch. "Alright, let's get this bookshelf inside and finish this job up." He clapped his hands together once, capturing everyone's attention.

Paul walked by and bumped Sam's shoulder with his own. "That includes you, too, Oh Mighty Alpha." He glanced at Bella. "Mama Bear – I love you like the sister I never wanted, but I'm not throwing my back out trying to get that giant-ass piece of furniture into that house." He gestured to the living room with a jerk of his head.

Bella grinned and shoved Sam away by his stomach. "Sam will _absolutely_ help you."

Sam sighed. "What good is being the Alpha if my pack is just going to mutiny and turn my own imprint against me?" The two jogged down the steps. The gravel crackled under each step they took on the driveway.

Jared cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered, "Hey, Quil! Get your lazy ass out here and help us carry Bella's favorite form of entertainment!"

Quil's response was less than enthusiastic and definitely not gentlemanly, but he reported for duty nonetheless.

Once the bookshelf was perfectly in place, a bright yellow car with pepperoni all over the sides stopped in the driveway and all of their difficult labor was forgotten.

* * *

 **Sam Uley's house** was absolutely adorable. Not that Bella would ever say that while he was within hearing distance; a bachelor pad wasn't meant to be charming.

It was a log cabin that had once been a vacation house for a rich family from California – because only a wealthy Californian family would actually want to vacation in _Washington_. Obviously, since Sam had been able to afford to purchase the building at age eighteen with no bank loans, they'd been desperate to be rid of it. But really – who wanted to spend the summer in _La Push_ when they could be in San Francisco or Las Angeles?

Sam and Paul, when they'd first began to phase and it was just the two of them, had spent long hours tucked away in the woods, renovating Sam's new home. They'd added a beautiful mahogany porch, big enough for a comfortable lounge chair and a rocker to rest on, where Bella imagined the two of them would watch many a sunset. It was two stories high and had eight windows that overlooked the front yard, allowing tons of natural light to illuminate the hallways, bedrooms, bathroom, living room, and kitchen. A sliding glass door would grant access to the backyard through the kitchen. The backyard was fenced in – a trend on the Reservation.

Sam was ashamed of his house – always comparing it to those that they passed on the way to fancy dinners in Port Angeles or on rare trips to Seattle. But Bella thought it was cozy and welcoming and homey, and she loved it.

Perhaps because, when she and Sam were there, the world just seemed to stop.

The fireplace was their favorite place to sit near. A layer of blankets and row of pillows supported them as they lay in each other's arms. There, with the flames crackling in the background and her head resting on Sam's bare chest, Bella felt safe and loved and wanted.

"I have to be at the garage at eight tomorrow morning," Sam sighed into her hair.

She pouted a little. She'd imagined they would spend the entire morning, lazily watching TV from the comfort of their bed – or maybe sitting on their front porch, drinking coffee and eating cookies – or _pickles_! Oh, Bella had been craving pickles since practically the day she got pregnant.

Bella sat up on her elbows. When she looked down at him, her hair brushed against his cheek. As she spoke, he pinched a lock between his fingers and stared up at her adoringly. "Well, be extra quiet when you get up because _I_ have the weekends off, and I want to sleep," she gloated.

Sam glared at her playfully. "Not all of us have teaching degrees, Ms. Swan. Some of us have to do the manual labor jobs."

Bella had attended the University of Washington State, where she'd earned her bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a concentration on Language Art and a minor in Creative Writing. Staying in Forks, living at home with Charlie, seeing Sam every day, being a part of the pack was the best choice Bella could have made. She felt badly for changing the plans she and her mother had made so long ago, but she was happy. What was the word Sam had used that afternoon? _Overjoyed_. She was ecstatic with the direction her life had gone in. "I love your job," she told him. "You're sexy when you're all covered in grease and sweat."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh, yeah?" Before Bella could respond, another part of his body was talking.

She blushed a deep shade of red. "What are you going to do when we've got two little toddlers running around here and you can't drag me to the bedroom every ten minutes?"

He brushed a hand through her hair gently. "It's not my fault," he said innocently. "It's your scent. Your being pregnant makes your scent much more . . ." He searched for the words. " _Potent_ to me. It's like . . . sweeter. Stronger." He kissed her mouth. "But just as sexy."

Bella laughed and settled back down against his side. His arms, muscular and powerful yet ever-gentle, secured her to him.

A comfortable silence fell over them. Sam's steady breathing almost lulled Bella to sleep, especially as his index finger drew patterns on her back.

"Are you happy, Bella?"

She smiled. "Of course I am." She paused. "Are you?"

He reached down to press his hands against her growing stomach. "Of course I am," he echoed. "I love you." His warm hands caressed her belly lovingly, protectively. He was going to be the absolute best father the world would ever see.

Their eyes met, and then their lips locked.

And their happily ever after began.

"So – can we discuss these baby names of yours?" he grumbled.

"You don't like Carolyn for our daughter?"

"No, I do," he corrected her. "It's our son's that's got me worried."

"What's wrong with Theodore?" she demanded. "C'mon – we can call him Teddy for short, and he can have the cutest little pajamas with Teddy Bears on them, and –"

"He's gonna be an Alpha werewolf one day," he interrupted. "He's gotta have a strong name – powerful. A powerful name brings a powerful reputation."

"Oh, please," she said. "I think you and I proved that around here, a reputation means nothing." She pouted. "Besides – I've had these names picked out since eighth grade."

Sam chuckled. "Of _course_ you did, Ms. I'm Always In Control."

She blinked innocently. "Who, me?" But, despite being teased for her past behaviors, Bella felt an overwhelming bliss settle over her.

Oh – and the giant glistening diamond on her finger certainly added to it.

* * *

 **And . . . that's all, folks.**

 **Whew. I'm very emotional right now. I fell in love with writing this story, but now, it's onwards and upwards to different plots and stories and character traits.**

 **Thank you all so much for your constant support and love for Temptation's Reputation. I so appreciate each and every one of you - even those who maybe only read the first chapter and decided it wasn't for them. Anyone who's ever clicked on this story - thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

 **This is NOT goodbye! I already have new stories in progress and I am so excited about them! As I've said before, my next chapter story will be a Bella/Cullen pairing, but I'm not revealing which Cullen that is quite yet. If you're into Bella/vampire stories, I encourage you to check it out! It'll be posted AT LEAST by the end of November, but I'm hoping it gets on here WAAAY before then. If Bella/vamp stories aren't your thing, I've got one-shots in the making, and most of them are Bella/wolf pairings, so you'll have those to help lessen the wait until the next Bella/wolf chapter story (which is next in line after the Bella/Cullen story).**

 **So, long story short:**

 **Stay tuned to my profile and my stories lists! You never know when something new will appear.**

 **I would love for you all to stick with me as I continue my journey in the Fanfiction world, but I know that probably won't happen. I'll lose some of you in the shuffle, and gain new readers in the future. So, if this is the last time you read anything I write -**

 **Thank you. And happy reading.**


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